The sales tax zero-rating facility that was allowed to the registered manufacturers and exporters of five leading sectors including textile, leather, carpets, surgical and sports goods with a view to facilitate exports. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has withdrawn it which was available to certain textile sector units on the supply of electricity and gas for not meeting the criteria.

Sales tax zero-rating is withdrawn if the beneficiary business is been closed clown, sold out to some other person, the lease of the premises, where the zero-rated energy meters are installed, has expired or the lease of the premises, where the zero rated energy meters are installed has shifted to some other location.

The FBR has directed all formations concerned that the procedure and requirements must be observed for the purpose of uniform and expeditious processing and disposal of cases for the grant, rejection or withdrawal of zero-rating on supply of electricity and gas to the registered manufactures and exporters of the five sectors.

The facility is ended where the registered beneficiary is a null, nil, non-filer and not an active taxpayer or the registered person is making supplies to and from suspended/black-listed units or his supplies and corresponding input tax credit are not verified.

Claiming inadmissible input tax credits, failure in paying outstanding recoverable demand despite recovery notices as well as sharing zero-rated energy meter with others also results in withdrawal of the exemption.

If a person is found to have obtained zero-rating facility on the basis of misrepresentation, or supplying zero-rated electricity or gas to any other person, or uses it for any purpose other than for the manufacture of goods specified in SRO 1125(1)/2011, the zero-rating shall forthwith be withdrawn and action will be taken to recover the amount of sales tax chargeable on such zero-rated electricity and gas along with penalty and default surcharge.

The FBE has advised the gas and electricity companies to start charging sales tax on the use of gas and electricity from Master Textile Processing Mills, Ahmad Fabrics and S S Enterprises.