Taxing the feudals

Taxing agriculture

This is with reference to the letter “Taxing agriculture” by Khan Faraz (News Post, Feb 3). Can he explain why most of our parliamentarians are agriculturists, if they don’t earn enough? Obviously, they are better off than those in other trades since they have the money to fight elections, buy expensive properties in the cities, and luxury vehicles as well. As for his contention that farmers are paying taxes in various forms such as water charges, revenues, irrigation and tube-well charges, etc, all such charges are paid by industrialists and others too, yet they are not exempt from paying the income tax.

In fact, the salaried persons have to pay the income tax ranging from five per cent to 25 per cent. Those who earn a living from farming should pay at least as much as other Pakistanis do. And like other Pakistanis, poor farmers who earn less than Rs300,000 a year should be exempt from income tax.

Shakir Lakhani
Karachi
The News, Monday, February 07, 2011