The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Secretariat has reported a dramatic 67% increase in taxpayer complaints filed against the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) this year, reflecting rising dissatisfaction and a renewed commitment to transparency within Pakistan’s tax administration. During a press briefing, Almas Ali Jovindah, Advisor for the FTO’s Legal & Media Wing, disclosed that the FTO received 10,515 complaints over the last 10 months, of which 9,900 have been successfully resolved — a commendable improvement over previous years. Jovindah underscored that actionable measures against corrupt tax officials rely on formal complaints from affected taxpayers. He encouraged the business community to utilize the FTO’s services without fear of retribution, noting that reports of bribery or illicit demands should be brought directly to the FTO to ensure accountability within the FBR. Highlighting advancements in the FTO’s complaint resolution process, Jovindah emphasized the increased application of Section 33 of the FTO Ordinance, which supports informal dispute resolution. This procedural refinement has significantly accelerated complaint processing, providing a faster, less bureaucratic route for taxpayers to resolve disputes. A particularly impactful outcome of the FTO’s interventions has been the swift processing of delayed tax refunds. Over the past 10 months alone, Rs 2 billion in refunds have been disbursed to taxpayers, a substantial increase from the Rs 17.742 billion refunded in all of 2023. Additionally, the FTO initiated a…