Mohsin Siddiqui (Chief Reporter)
Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has instructed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to take decisive disciplinary action against tax officials implicated in unauthorized access and manipulation of data pertaining to return filing by an overseas Pakistani. This move comes in response to concerns regarding the compromise of tax data integrity, despite the robust infrastructure provided by the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL).
The FTO has emphasized the importance of investigating this breach thoroughly and ensuring stringent measures to safeguard data integrity. Specifically, the FTO has mandated the Member (IT) to oversee enhanced data security protocols and exercise effective control over IT personnel across all jurisdictions.
The complainant, an Overseas Pakistani residing in the United States since 2001, reported the unauthorized registration of an FBR tax filer’s account in her name. Despite her efforts to address this issue with the Chief Commissioner of the Regional Tax Office (RTO) in Lahore, she received no response. Additionally, the complainant asserted her non-liability for an NTN (National Tax Number) registration in Pakistan under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001.
Further investigations revealed that someone had fraudulently obtained an NTN in the complainant’s name and filed returns using her identity. The complainant promptly notified the FBR and took measures to rectify the situation, including changing associated mobile numbers and emails with the help of a Legal Representative Officer (LRO).
An inquiry is underway to identify the individuals responsible for this breach, including those who accessed the complainant’s IRIS account, filed tax returns, and manipulated her tax profile. It has been determined that certain FBR officials, including Shoaib Iqbal (ITP), Ikramullah from RTO Lahore, and Asif Ali, Data Processing Officer at PRAL, were involved in unauthorized access and manipulation of tax data.
The actions of these individuals are deemed unlawful, oppressive, and indicative of administrative misconduct, as per the FTO Ordinance, 2000. Consequently, disciplinary actions will be pursued against the culprits involved in this breach of data security and manipulation of tax profiles.
