ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has appointed Muhammad Afzal Bhatti, a senior official of customs and excise group, as Directorate General of Customs Valuation Karachi. On promotion of Bhatti from Grade 20 to 21, the board has deputed him as head of the DG Customs Valuation.

Humayuan Khan Sikanderi (Grade-21), Chief Audit, FBR Audit Wing has been transferred and posted as Directorate General of Training Karachi. Meanwhile, the FBR has explained SRO 655(1)/2008 of June 23, 2008.

This SRO is being issued to remove the anomaly faced by the salaried persons serving in such areas where house rent is admissible at the rate of thirty percent of the minimum of the time scale of basic salary but the value taken for the purpose of rule-4 of the Income Tax Rules, 2002 is 45% of the minimum of the time scale.

This was causing hardship and unequal treatment to the salaried classes serving in the non-urban areas. Now it has been provided through this SRO that where House Rent allowance is admissible at the rate of thirty per cent the value taken for the purpose of this rule shall be an amount not less than thirty per cent of minimum of the time scale of basic salary or the basic salary where there is no time scale. It is an important step by the FBR for taxpayers' facilitation as well as reducing the burden of tax from salaried classes, the board added.