Myths about taxation
Do our esteemed finance minister, prime minister, policymakers at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and economic managers know why the tax-to-GDP ratio is significantly higher in developed countries compared…
Paradigm behind an ideal tax-to-GDP ratio
One point of commonality in all twenty-three International Monetary Fund (IMF) programmes secured by Pakistan to date is an emphasis on raising tax revenue with more recent programmes seeking not…
Provincial economic policy
As the new provincial governments are finding their feet in a rather very difficult economic environment, it is important to fix the problems at the root. This means setting aside…
Equitable taxation
The concept of taxation has deep historical roots, dating back to the governance of Greek city-states, where elected governments were entrusted with managing the welfare of citizens. The Greeks utilized…
FBR: Dwindling tax collection
Pakistan has one of the world’s lowest tax ratios, stemming from five main weaknesses: complexity, a narrow tax base, low compliance, inefficient tax administration, and low and declining provincial tax…
Subject of taxation on farm income
This article discusses the issue of availability of food for the poor at affordable prices, economics of agriculture and the misperception about the potential collection of tax on income from…
Tax expenditure as subsidy to elites: myth or reality?
In the last ten or so years, economic issues and tax collection by FBR has been brought increasingly under focus. Matters that were previously discussed in economic and policy circles…
Improving tax compliance
The caretaker government has set up a tax reforms taskforce to come up with recommendations to close the ‘tax gap’ due to weak compliance, without requiring any additional tax policy…
The tax challenge
Taxation is the lifeblood of any country's economic system – as the primary source of government revenue for public services, infrastructure, and social welfare. Taxation in Pakistan dates back to…
Tax targets versus tax gap — II
The State should not collect advance taxes from those who are not chargeable to tax. Provisions like section 236 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 along with many other similar…
