The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will commence a nationwide mapping of individual shops and markets this Friday following a lackluster response to the Asaan tax scheme. This enforcement initiative aims to integrate between 500,000 and one million retailers into the active tax net.
Key Operational Details
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Target Demographics: Out of Pakistan’s 4.3 million commercial WAPDA meter holders, only about 600,000 currently file tax returns. The FBR aims to onboard up to one million retailers, anticipating that 200,000 will join voluntarily while the remainder will be incorporated through strict enforcement.
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Collaborative Mapping: FBR field officers will work directly with trader representatives on a daily schedule to map markets, raise awareness, and address registration concerns.
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System Fixes: A technical issue in the tax return’s “other income” column, previously flagged by traders, has been successfully resolved.
Deadlines and Enforcement Penalties Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, who chaired the review meeting, emphasized that the scheme was customized to meet traders’ needs, eliminating any justification for non-compliance. He urged retailers to take advantage of the newly granted 15-day filing extension.
Once this grace period expires, non-compliant shopkeepers will face tiered penalties agreed upon with trader representatives:
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Month One: Rs10,000 penalty
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Month Two: Rs25,000 penalty
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Month Three: Rs50,000 penalty
The strategic review session involved top officials including FBR Member Strategic Transformation Dr. Hamid Atiq and Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal, alongside key trader leaders Ajmal Baloch, Kashif Chaudhry, and Habib Fakhruddin. Chief commissioners nationwide joined via video link to coordinate the rollout, and future review meetings will continue to monitor the scheme’s overall progress.