HYDERABAD, June 23: The Qasimabad Shopkeepers Welfare Association has criticized the levy of professional tax on the sale of meat, fish, poultry, vegetables and fruits by the Qasimabad taluka administration.

The shopkeepers, at an urgent meeting held here on Tuesday and presided over by Tanveer Shaikh, said that they were not able to pay the tax. They termed the tax illegal and demanded that its recovery should be immediately stopped and they should be granted exemptions in other taxes for at least three years.

They further demanded that a separate market for meat, fish, poultry, fruits and vegetables should be constructed by the TMA. They also criticized the setting up of an office by the EDO, community development, at the office of a disabled persons' organizations.

They demanded that the possession of the disabled persons premises should be vacated failing which the people of Qasimabad would stage protest demonstrations.

INCOME TAX: The income tax commissioner, local zone, Sardar Aminullah Khan has reminded all withholding agents that they are obliged to deduct tax at prescribed rates from payments to be made on account of salary, commission, contracts, supplies, services and other payments.

In a notification issued on Wednesday, he said that the deducted tax was to be deposited in banks and evidence thereof was to be furnished to the tax office concerned. He said that from a sample survey of some of the prescribed persons, it had been noted that certain government departments and private and public companies were not meeting the withholding tax obligations properly.

The commissioner advised all such organizations and business houses to deduct the tax at the time of payment and deposit the same under intimation to the income tax department.

He said that any lapses in this regard may be covered during the current month of June. He cautioned that the department was likely to start specific withholding tax audit of defaulting persons and may take penal action including creation of personal liability and penalties as per law.

He said that the action had so far been avoided as a part of government's policy to promote voluntary compliance of tax laws by educating and initiating tax-payers in meeting their tax obligations.