How much tax did Quaid-e-Azam pay on his salary?

As per recent world bank report specifies: “The tax-to-GDP ratio, at 12.4 percent, is one of the
lowest in the world and it is still half of what it could be for Pakistan. Continued reforms to
broaden the tax base and increase revenues will therefore need to remain a priority. Service
delivery is the responsibility of subnational governments, whose capacity varies, but the federal
Government needs to play an assertive stewardship role as increased financing has to be
accompanied by meaningful improvements in quality of services.
Quaid-e-Azam took over as first Governor General of Pakistan on 15 August 1947 Records show
that Quaid-e-Azam was charged Income Tax and Super Tax on his salary every month. You can
find Quaid e Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah income tax return below:
How much tax did Quaid-e-Azam pay on his salary? This might be interesting as the issue of taxes
of Pakistani leaders is an everyday discussion. A number of political leaders face questions on
their tax records and financial integrity continuously. Moreover, several of them are unable to
show receipts of their earnings.
However, the tax records of the father of the nation may serve as a guidance for them. It shows
how Quaid-e-Azam was willing to pay more than 50% of his salary in lieu of taxes. An image has
emerged which shows the salary and tax deduction records of the first Governor General of
Pakistan. The salary slip is for the month of April 1948.
It shows that the total monthly salary of the Governor General of Pakistan in 1948 amounted to
rupees ten thousand four hundred sixteen rupees and 10 annas (paisas). A deduction amounting
Two Thousand Nine hundred and Twenty One rupees (Rs. 2, 921) for income tax is there. Another
deduction amounting Three Thousand One Hundred and Ninety rupees (Rs. 3,190) is also there
as Super Tax. Overall, the total salary of Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah amounts Four
Thousand Three Hundred Four rupees and ten annas (paisas) only (Rs. 4304.10).
It may be noted that the father of the nation kept donating his salary to the Government of
Pakistan to avoid putting any burden on the new state.
But what the government of Pakistan says in this regard and what was his monthly salary
according to Muhammad Ali Jinnah's pay bill, no one bothered to investigate in this regard.
The official file of Muhammad Ali Jinnah's salary is preserved in the National Archives of Pakistan
and the Quaid-e-Azam Paper Cell in Islamabad. A cursory study of this file reveals that as
Governor-General, he had a regular monthly consultation and that the bill was presented in an
official manner and went through the formal stages of approval on a regular basis.

It is a rule that the salary file of all government employees has the date of taking charge and the
signatures of the sample, so the sample signatures were also obtained from Muhammad Ali
Jinnah. He also provided the certificate of assumption of office with his signature in the following
words: "I confirm that I assumed office as the Governor General of Pakistan on the morning of
15 August 1947." The founding staff of the Pakistan Foundation regularly handed over his pay bill
to his military secretary, Col. J. Knowles, to get Muhammad Ali Jinnah to sign it at the designated
place. After completing the formalities, he would return the bill to the staff, which was sent to
the Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue. A copy was kept in Quaid-e-Azam's personal file,
which was kept by Assistant Secretary F. Amin. Muhammad Ali Jinnah's first pay bill was made
from August 1947 to January 1948. The total amount was Rs. 57795 and 13 annas which after
deducting income tax and super tax became Rs. 34588 five annas. The pay bill file also shows that
the tax was paid carefully and meticulously, but the final calculation of their salary shows that
the deduction was much higher. A study of Paybil's file also reveals that in those days the rule of
law was for everyone, young and old, and there was no compliance with the rule of thumb.
Quaid-e-Azam's pay bill for April 1948 was returned by the AGPR's Assistant Accounts Officer
with the objection that his sample signature, which is in his pay bill file, differs from the signature
on the pay bill. Therefore, either Muhammad Ali Jinnah should be asked to re-sign the bill or his
signature should be verified by his military secretary himself.
Quaid-e-Azam's first pay bill was made from August 1947 to January 1948. Its total amount was
57795.13 which after deducting income tax and super tax became Rs. 34588.5.

Mentioned above, the total salary of the Founder of Pakistan was Rs. 10,416 The eight paisa
were causing difficulty in calculation, so the February 1948 bill specified that the January bill
received Rs. 10,416, which was four paise more. Has been levied. On page ten of the bill, the
Accounts Officer directed that the bill of March 1948 has been passed on the basis of Rs. The
salary, which will be received in March 1949, should be equalized, so the April 1948 bill was made
accordingly. This salary was deposited in Lloyds Bank Karachi where the account number 1 of the
founder of Pakistan was. When Muhammad Ali Jinnah died, his salary bill was in the AGPR office
for approval. The bill was signed by Quaid-e-Azam on August 24, 1948, apparently not including
the 11-day salary of September 1948.
Therefore, the AGPR calculated that the combined salary for August and September is Rs. 15036
an annuity. At the time of this calculation, it was found that the amount deducted from the salary
in terms of income tax and super tax for the period from March 1, 1948 to July 31, 1948 was Rs.
According to the will of Quaid-e-Azam, it was handed over to those responsible for his
inheritance, namely Miss Fatima Jinnah and Nawabzada Liaquat Ali Khan.
The amount of these two bills was Rs. 14,236 which was sent to Fatima Jinnah. The salary for
August 1948 was Rs 10,416 while the salary for 11 days in September 1948 was Rs 3,829. The
remaining amount of Rs. 12129 per sum of Rs. 11129 was sent to Fatima Jinnah by separate letter.
This is the true story of the salary of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, the founder of Pakistan, which can
be verified by the National Archives of Pakistan and Quaid-e-Azam Paper Cell Islamabad.