MIRPUR ( AJK)(Parliament Times): In a stringent enforcement action against tax evasion, the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) of Azad Jammu Kashmir government sealed several company-owned outlets here Tuesday following the company’s failure to settle a Rs 1.90 crore (Rs 190 million) sales tax default for the tax year 2024, it was officially said.
On the special directives of the Chairman CBR AJK, Chaudhry Muhammad Raqeeb, the operation, led by Deputy Commissioner Inland Revenue Mehmood Alam and a team including Inspectors Luqman Jarral, Masir Mehmood and Asif Shah, was carried out Tuesday evening after the business repeatedly ignored recovery notices, served by the competent authority, a CBR spokesman told our Special Jammu Kashmir state Correspondent Altaf Hamid Rao Tuesday evening.
“The crackdown stems from a comprehensive audit conducted for tax year 2024, which uncovered that the company had neither collected nor deposited a single rupee in sales tax despite ongoing operations. “The audit revealed a blatant disregard for tax obligations, with zero remittances recorded for the entire year,” confirmed sources close to the investigation. The Deputy Commissioner promptly assessed the liability at Rs 1.90 crore, triggering a cascade of legal proceedings”, according to the spokesman.
The company challenged the assessment by filing an appeal before the Commissioner (Appeals), but the appellate forum upheld the original decision in favor of the CBR, reinstating the full penalty. Undeterred, the business failed to comply with subsequent recovery notices issued by the DCIR, prompting today’s sealing of its outlets, the Spokesman said.
The action, executed post-evening prayers, aims to pressure the defaulter into immediate payment and serves as a stark warning to other non-compliant entities, he added
CBR, meanwhile, has emphasized that such measures are essential to bolster revenue collection and ensure a level playing field for honest taxpayers. “Tax evasion undermines national development; we will not hesitate to enforce compliance through all available means,” a senior revenue officer stated.
The sealed outlets will remain under lock until the outstanding dues are cleared, with potential for further penalties including asset attachments if non-compliance persists.
“The above action is the manifestation of
the CBR’s intensified drive against sales tax defaulters amid Pakistan’s ongoing economic challenges. Businesses are urged to review their filings proactively to avoid similar fates”, the spokesman asserted.
