WEB DESK: According to details, a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla, was held where the proposal to ban foreign travel for non-filers was approved.
Following this approval, non-filers will no longer be able to travel abroad. According to the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), action will be taken against those who do not file tax returns under the Income Tax General Order. Exceptions will be granted for Hajj, Umrah, young children, students, and overseas Pakistanis holding NICOP cards. Mobile SIMs, electricity, and gas connections of non-filers will also be disconnected.
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Furthermore, Senator Farooq H. Naek stated that the ban on foreign travel for non-filers essentially means being placed on the Exit Control List (ECL). Non-filers are also subjected to a higher rate of withholding tax, and their mobile SIMs and businesses can also be shut down.
The Chairman of FBR informed the committee that the list of 500,000 non-filers includes individuals with an annual income of over 2 million. In the past, these individuals have declared their income in tax returns. Those who temporarily become filers only to purchase a car, plot, or house will also have to pay additional taxes.
