FBR detects Rs9.5 billion worth of tax evasion by marriage halls

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has detected around Rs9.5 billion worth of tax evasion by marriage halls in the past four years, on Tuesday.

Tax evasion was found in the recently conducted physical survey of banquet/marriage halls by the Inland Revenue department as part of an ongoing broadening of tax base.

The Inland Revenue office visited around 660 marriage halls across the city and inquired them about charges of one function. Charges of marriage halls were variable depending on the location, the sources said.

The sources added the survey identified that the marriage halls arranged a total of 1,743 functions in one year.

The management of marriage halls also collected with holding tax on behalf of the FBR, but failed to deposit the collection in government accounts.

The tax office estimated that the marriage halls would have arranged approximately 6,972 functions in the past four years.

On the basis of the estimate, the tax office calculated that the tax payable by the owners of marriage halls was Rs9.5 billion. However, the payment made by the marriage halls was only Rs410 million in the last four years.

“Therefore, it is established that an amount of around Rs9.46 billion was evaded by the marriage halls,” an official said, requesting anonymity.

The tax office issued notices to the owners of marriage halls and asked them to make compliance with the legal obligations to clear dues within 15 days.