President Zardari Upholds Taxpayer Interests by Endorsing FTO Orders

President Asif Ali Zardari has sanctioned more than 92% of the directives issued by the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) against the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) during 2024.

This endorsement showcases the President’s commitment to facilitating taxpayers, promoting voluntary compliance, and encouraging proper documentation. In the majority of instances, President Zardari ruled in favor of the taxpayers, disagreeing with the FBR’s stance.

Senior officials from the FTO informed the media on Tuesday at their headquarters that in 2024, the FTO resolved 12,742 cases favorably for taxpayers. Only 1,030 of these decisions were appealed before the President, who then upheld over 92% of the FTO’s decisions.

In 2024, the FTO received a record 13,506 complaints against tax officials. They addressed 12,914 complaints during the year, surpassing previous records and demonstrating taxpayers’ growing confidence in the FTO for resolving issues with FBR personnel.

The FTO issued recommendations on about 13,500 complaints in 2024, with only 336 being challenged through representations to the President. The President examined 379 representations, some of which were carried over from 2023, and decided 326 cases in favor of the FTO.

As a result of FTO directives in 2024, taxpayers received Rs22.79 billion in refund claims. The average time for resolving complaints was reduced to approximately 34.11 days.

More than 1,705 complaints were resolved swiftly in 2024 through informal dispute resolution, as per Section 33 of the FTO Ordinance. The substantial rise in complaints in 2024 can be attributed to 270 outreach sessions conducted by the Federal Tax Ombudsman with Pakistan’s business community and other institutions, according to FTO officials.