The address of Hon’ble Federal Tax Ombudsman dated: 22.11.2021 to the field formation officers of FBR was construed out of context while sharing at different mode of media. It is clarified that the office of FTO was established through FTO Ordinance 2000 to diagnose, investigate, redress and rectify any injustice done to a person through maladministration by functionaries administering tax law and to provide speedy and cost free redressal of any person’s grievances arising out of corruption or maladministration of tax functionaries of FBR including the following:
i. Action against the law, rules and regulations
ii. Arbitrary and discriminatory behavior/conduct
iii. Administrative excesses or misuse of powers for
iv. corrupt or improper motives
v. Neglect, inattention, delay, incompetence, inefficiency and ineptitude, in the discharge of duties
vi. Repeated notices, unnecessary calls of attendance and prolonged hearings while deciding the cases
vii. Wilful errors in the determination of refunds, rebates or duty drawbacks
viii. Deliberately withholding of refunds, rebates or duty drawbacks
ix. illegal methods of tax recovery
x. Avoidance of disciplinary action against an official whose order of assessment or valuation is held by a competent appellate authority to be vindictive, capricious, biased, or patently illegal.
It is once again assured that FTO Secretariat is committed to act strictly in accordance with relevant rules i.e. FTO Ordinance, 2000 to achieve its above goals and taking/recommending action against delinquent/corrupt tax officers/officials in accordance with law.
