ISLAMABAD: Federal and provincial taxpayers are facing problems in filing the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)’s National Sales Tax Return (STR), which was formally launched by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin on January 7, 2022.
Earlier, the FBR informed all concerned that the STR for the tax period of December 2021 will be filed through the Single Sales Tax Portal.
There are several issues of registered person to file STR.
Hence, limited number of taxpayers were able to file the said return.
Asif Kasbati, PBC Core Tax Committee Member, ICAP Fiscal Laws Committee Member highlighted several issues and he expected that extension till atleast 25 January 2022 for payment and 28 January 2022 for return filing would be granted by the FBR. Elaborating the issues, based on arranging several Single Sales Tax Portal workshops, he told Business Recorder that in Annexure “C”, it should be NTN and CNIC (both) base and name of the business as well as proprietor should be shown, and invoices feeder should be in “Ascending Order”, as such, the portal is indicating Annexure C due date as 20 January 2022 for supplier.
Hence most of the registered persons have not filed the Annexure C.
This is leading to not fetching input data for buyers in their Annexure A. Kasbati added that services input are not available to be adjusted against output. Unclaimed input tax invoices for the previous six months are not being shown.
November carried forward balance is not being shown as brought forward for December. This is leading to major payment by the registered persons, hence, no one would like to file the return.
About import and export, he highlighted that in Annexure B about Import Data is successfully being downloaded but not shown in main page of the return.
Export data are not available in most of the cases.
Moreover, Kasbati stated that bulk unregistered sales are also not being entertained.
This was being accepted in November return.
Section 8B exclusion is not available keeping in view SRO 1190.
Regarding Excel template, Kasbati stated that Excel file template is not working properly.
Excel file template is incomplete as not showing filters in December; as being shown in November. Different rate of sales tax isnot showing in Excel file template in certain cases.
He added PSID is not possible on the New Single ST Portal.
Lahore Tax Bar vide Letter dated 11 January 2022 stated about errors in Single ST Portal and requested the FBR to extend the last date of filing of Single Sales Tax Return for December 2021 upto31.1.22 and compliance period to this portal up to 30 June 2022.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
