ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to operationalize the International Centre of Tax Excellence (ICTE) to enhance international tax cooperation, improve revenue forecasting and tax analysis, and refine tax administration to maximize revenue generation.

A notification issued on Monday detailed the activation of the ICTE. It assigns additional responsibilities to several Inland Revenue Service (IRS) officers (BS-18 to BS-20) for a three-month period or until regular appointments are made. The officers include:

• Sumria Mahmood Qazi (IRS/BS-20): Chief (International Tax-Operations), Directorate General of International Tax Operations, FBR Headquarters, Islamabad.
• Fida Muhammad (IRS/BS-19): Chief (OPS) (International Taxes), Directorate General of International Tax Operations, FBR Headquarters, Islamabad.
• Mehdi Hassan (IRS/BS-18): Secretary (OPS) (AEOI), Directorate General of International Tax Operations, FBR Headquarters.

ICTE Functions and Objectives

Under Section 230J of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, ICTE will:

• Contribute to the development of tax policy and prepare model national tax policies.
• Conduct interdisciplinary research on tax administration and policy.
• Promote international tax cooperation and revenue forecasting.
• Organize international seminars, workshops, and conferences on taxation issues.
• Enhance the capacity of Inland Revenue officers.
• Streamline tax administration design and delivery to reduce the tax gap.

Governance Structure

The ICTE will have a nominating committee, including the Minister-in-Charge, Secretary Revenue Division, and Secretary Finance, responsible for recommending candidates for the executive director and independent members of the Executive Committee.

The Executive Committee, comprising the FBR Chairman, Member (IR Policy), Member (IR Operations), and two government-appointed independent members, will oversee ICTE operations. The executive director, also serving as the institute’s chief executive, will ensure smooth daily operations and adherence to its functions.

Recruitment and Employment

At least 50% of ICTE employees will be serving or retired Inland Revenue officers with a minimum of five years of experience in tax policy or administration. Their terms and remuneration will be defined by the federal government.

The Executive Committee will establish rules for recruitment and assign annual objectives to the ICTE. A monitoring committee, appointed by the board, will oversee the institute’s establishment, including appointing a project director.

Data Confidentiality

The FBR will provide anonymized data to the ICTE for processing and analysis, ensuring taxpayer confidentiality in accordance with Section 216 of the Income Tax Ordinance.