FBR to raise property valuations

While hitting back at politicians for striking compromises with traders and keeping the tax body incapacitated, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said on Friday that it would increase property valuations close to 90% of market prices to collect an additional Rs70 billion in the next fiscal year. Out of the Rs70 billion, an amount of Rs30 billion will be the impact of increase in property valuations and the remaining Rs40 billion is estimated to be collected through a higher withholding tax on the revised valuations and the new withholding tax rates. The statement about property valuation was made during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance, where Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Senator Farooq H Naek supported the government’s proposal to slap 10% sales tax on newspapers.