LAHORE: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has heard a case filed by one Muhammad Umer against the Regional Tax Office (RTO-II) Lahore and adjourned it until the next date of hearing.
FTO Advisor Mian Munawar Ghafoor heard the case. The counsel for the appellant argued that the RTO had failed to release sales tax refund to the appellant since two years. He said the RTO-II has been collecting excessive tax from the company for the last two years.
Although the petitioner approached the officials concerned several times for release of refunds yet the RTO officials failed to clear refunds after the passage of a reasonable time.
Finally, the appellant decided to approach the FTO seeking intervention in this case. The counsel appealed to the FTO advisor to direct the RTO-II to clear refund claims.
From respondent side, the counsel for RTO-II argued that the appellant has not submitted all the record in the office for claiming refunds. If he provides the accurate record, the RTO-II will release refunds after a proper assessment, he maintained.
He added that Regional Tax Office releases refunds of taxpayers one by one so the appellant should wait for his turn as tax refund is a liability of the RTO.
After hearing the arguments from both sides, the FTO fixed the date for further hearing and directed the parties to appear before him on said date to present arguments in the case.