I met a group of people the other day. They were on a visit from Pakistan. I am assuming they are rich, because no one just visits the states from pakistan with friends, and stays at hotels and etc. Especially someone 21-24. These people could only talk about how they hated musharraf and how the country has “gone back down” economically and he is this and that…etc. No big deal there, as most were nawaz supporters and benazir supporters. And There is nothing wrong with that really.
Then the topic came upon to a point as to why the government remains so powerless and poor. Shockingly they all admitted that their parents or their relatives, or anyone they know in their neighborhoods back home have never paid taxes. I know I shouldn’t have been surprised, but I sure was jolted.
I always heard that most people don’t pay taxes in Pakistan but this was just too amazing to hear. Are these kids really so far away from ground realities? They really didn’t care to pay government anything, but wanted the government to fix everything around them. It really upsets me to think that my parents were one of minority few in Pakistan that actually paid taxes.
Please don’t lie when I ask do your folks pay taxes in Pakistan? The people I spoke with were proud and saw it at some sort of acheivement.
its wat im always saying to ppl who say things bout musharraf and gov that b4 pointing fingers at sum1 else look at urselves wat ur doing
r u totally right and they totally wrong???
and they say that i back musharraf and bla bla
i dont back anybody i just say that there is no one better than any1 in pakistan
every1 just want to have the gov and rule the country thats it!!
no1 is sincere
they say look where our country is now it wasnt like that b4
i say the situation was different back then
my point is correct urselves and everything will be better gradually
no1 has magic wand to correct things in one day!!!
I am an outsider but have visited that beautiful country twice. Both times, I was privvy to conversations about how to avoid paying taxes completely. Not just to get loopholes mind you - this was to avoid them completely.
I guess this is why in the USA, the govt just TAKES what they think you owe out of your paycheck.
And seeing everything else that was happening over there, I guess I might be inclined to follow their suit. I mean when those good citizens DO pay taxes, it tends to end up in the pockets of self-serving pols yeah? It surely doesnt go to public education or health care or ANY public welfare program for that matter.
Not that this is a Pak-bashing response....far from it. But THIS is one of its big, big problems.
They are rich because they do not pay taxes. They are rich because they have ton's of black money. They are rich because they cheat and lie. The problem also is that nobody can get rich in Pakistan without being corrupt. The corrupt government officers would not give you electric , water or gas connection for your industry. You cannot get an industrial plot without paying bribes. You cannot get permits or licenses for businesses or industries without paying bribe. The government officers who accept tons of bribes are rich , how can or how would they pay taxes on this illegal money.
You cannot even get a grave without paying bribe in Pakistan. This corruption is rampant in all walks of life. People say openly " acha sa wakeel karnay kay baja a acha saw judge kar lo"
Translation do not hire a good lawyer , hire a good judge. Anybody who thinks that whatever charges were levied against Iftikhar Husain Choudhery were baseless lives in fools paradise. Very very few people in Pakistan have clear and clean conscious . You can always find something done by someone at one point or the other which can be used against them. People have no choice but to use illegal , illegitimate and corrupt methods to get legal ,legitimate and honest work done.
ur right this corruption is tearing the whole country apart
ppl here in ksa go like yeah the corruption in pak is so bad and stuff
but they tell me the stories of how they bribed the traffic police to get out of trouble!
i mean cumon!!!
u say its wrong but wen it cums to u everything becomes:doodh ki dhuli:
I guess this is why in the USA, the govt just TAKES what they think you owe out of your paycheck.
In Pakistan also income tax for the salaried people is deducted at source. But the tax paying workforce base is too small in Pakistan. The businessmen , industrialist, agriculturalists and professionals either do not pay the taxes or if they do pay taxes they do not pay what they should be. The Income Tax Officers make them offers to pay minimum possible and get their share of the loot.
alig_reinvented
alig-reinvented. Very good thread.
Till mush made some changes(I am not aware of how its now. )
Paksitan tax system was very stupid. People from income tax would evaluate how much tax you need to pay.
Fair enough? not so much. in paksitan its based on how much bribe you pay.
You know whats funny If you don’t like their evaluation guess who you appeal to?? yeah to them.
So you don’t bribe them they tax you to death , you don’t like you appeal to them.
We had trouble with our property tax, an officer use to come to father clinic sit. Tell him how to fix the issue, between the line asking my father to bribe them.
I am so proud we did suffer for little while. We always paid taxes.
Side effect not only Iove my father, I respect him even more. He showed us how to follow right path even in country like pakistn.
Theres a huge difference between getting out of a traffic ticket and paying income taxes KB. When you need to resort to bribery to get anything from education for your children to obtaining a burial plot, there is something HUGEly wrong there.
my point is wen ppl can feel proud by getting out of trouble bribing the traffic police then how proud they will feel dodging the taxes
if ur ok with bribing at small level then its ok at higher level too!!!
u will do anything to get away from paying ur taxes
I am ashamed to say this but yes most people here don't pay the taxes and that include all those millionaires and billionaires who can actually afford to pay the taxes but don't do it. And than we are the first one to badmouth about our govt and want change in our country without even having to move their finger. It's a sad state. But yes i am proud to have a family which is law abiding and pays their taxes. I know this is our duty and we are not doing a favor to anyone but when someone can afford to get away from paying taxes and is going through a financial cruch it is something to stand on your grounds and do what is the right thing.
This is a serious problem in pakistan and i assume in other asian countries too. Only people who are breaking laws, bribing, freuding and doing illegal activities are making money. At times it really puts you down and makes you feel why must you suffer for doing the right. For example the crunch in business sectors esp in textiles since last few years have really affected many familes. But those which had no morals, values got out safe by getting illegal loans from banks or filling wrong bank corrupcies and ending up with all the money. Where as in companies which deserved the help of banks were shown the door.
Very very few people in Pakistan have clear and clean conscious.
How were all these consciences checked? How do people manage to make blanket statements with a net worth of 16 crore people? That too when they don't even live "among" the people ... or haven't lived for several years?
How were all these consciences checked? How do people manage to make blanket statements with a net worth of 16 crore people? That too when they don't even live "among" the people ... or haven't lived for several years?
if from 16 crore people only 1.6 percant pay tax than her words that very very few people in pakistan have clean conscience are true
