Huzaima & Ikram’s articles collect decades of published analysis on Pakistan’s tax and corporate law — income tax, sales tax, FBR reforms, budgets and constitutional questions — by Dr. Ikramul Haq, Huzaima Bukhari and Abdul Rauf Shakoori, including pieces first published in Pakistan’s leading newspapers.
Budgets 2020 amid Covid-19 pandemic
Dr. Ikramul Haq The Adviser to Prime Minister on Finance and Revenue, Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, in a Press Release issued on May 18, 2020,…
PIDE: Fixing tax policy
Dr. Ikramul Haq “Simplify taxes, reduce the cost of excessive documentation, open the economy for higher growth and employment, taxes will then increase….Not only is…
Taxes, not charity!
Huzaima Bukhari “We don’t do charity in Germany. We pay taxes. Charity is a failure of governments’ responsibilities”—Henning When, a German stand-up comedian Imagine a…
FBR’s dismal performance for 2018-19
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq An unusual decline in revenue collection and steep rise in current expenditures caused a deterioration in all major fiscal…
Welcome to WW III!
Huzaima Bukhari “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones”—Albert…
COVID-19 pandemic & Rich-Poor Divide
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq Much before Covid-19 outbreak, the widening income and wealth disparities were highlighted by us in various columns with solutions…
Budget 2020: Paradigm shift needed
Dr. Ikramul Haq Budget 2020 is in the making amidst very difficult times when we are faced with economic meltdown due to Covid-19 outbreak and…
FBR: audit closure, capacity & legality
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq According to a Press report the Government of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) “has quietly closed over 310,000 tax audit cases…
Covid-19 crisis: agenda for survival & revival
Tax proposals for budget 2020-21 Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq This year’s budget for fiscal year 2020-21 is expected in the first week of…
Covid-19 pandamic relief measure
Revisiting advance/withholding taxes Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq After the Second World War, the provision of advance income tax was provided in the then…
Self-deception-illusive fantasy
Huzaima Bukhari “The greatest deception men suffer from is their own opinion”—Leonardo Da Vinci In a highly deceptive world where everyone is out to deceive…
Covid-19 epidemic
Economic-tax relief package Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq Pakistan is facing the brunt of Coronavirus outbreak as the country is in a partial…
Demise of second consecutive NFC
Dr. Ikramul Haq According to a Press report, the 9th National Finance Commission (NFC) “died its natural death …after the Centre and four provinces could…
Without being commanded?
Huzaima Bukhari “I have gained from philosophy: that I do without being commanded what others do only from fear of the laws”—Aristotle While driving in…
Covid-19, the poor & tax extortion
Dr Ikramul Haq In the most difficult times arising out of Covid-19 outbreak and lockdown, all over the world the governments are going for relief…
Through Iqbal’s eyes!
Huzaima Bukhari “Unbeliever is he who follows predestination even if he be Muslim. Faithful is he, if he himself is the Divine Destiny”—Allama Muhammad Iqbal…
Covid-19: economic impact measures
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, in a Press conference on April 3, 2020, thinly attended by journalists…
Simplest & meaningful tax-bailout
Huzaima Bukhari & Dr. Ikramul Haq As mentioned in the last column [Tax bailout for economic revival, Business Recorder, April 17, 2020], all businesses—badly hit…
