The Inland Revenue Enforcement Network (IREN) squad of Regional Tax Office (RTO) Rawalpindi has seized 60 cartons of non-duty paid cigarettes on account of the non-production of documents.
The IREN squad, based on credible information, raided a warehouse in Jhelum and seized cartons of local cigarettes containing 0.6 million sticks.
The raid involved revenue of Rs. 1.26 million in federal excise duty (FED) and sales tax. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Asim Ahmad commended the timely action by RTO Rawalpindi and emphasized the need for maintaining strict vigilance against tax evasion in the tobacco sector. He underlined that FBR is committed to controlling tax evasion and has undertaken various administrative measures in this regard.
‘Tax evasion is an illegal activity and the tax evaders will be subjected to criminal charges and substantial penalties to ensure that due taxes are rightfully deposited in the national exchequer for the growth of the national economy,” the chairman said in a statement.
