Only 2,195 retailers registered under the 1 per cent fixed tax scheme in its first two months, prompting plans for stepped-up enforcement.
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is preparing to intensify enforcement against retailers who fail to comply with tax requirements after its 1 per cent fixed tax scheme attracted only 2,195 registrations during its first two months.
At a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on September 30, 2026, the FBR chairman briefed lawmakers on the scheme’s limited participation and challenges in bringing retailers into the tax net.
The meeting, chaired by Senator Saleem Mandviwalla at Parliament House, was attended by committee members and the Minister of State for Finance and Revenue.
Only 2,195 retailers register
The committee was informed that the government had consulted traders before introducing the scheme. An application was launched last month to enable retailers to provide their business details, although technical issues initially affected its operation. The minister said these issues had since been resolved.
The scheme covers retailers with annual sales of up to Rs200 million. Officials clarified that registration is mandatory and retailers must declare their income and file tax returns.
The FBR plans to impose penalties in stages on non-compliant businesses, beginning at Rs10,000, followed by Rs25,000 and Rs50,000 at subsequent stages. Enforcement will be intensified against retailers who continue to refuse compliance.
The FBR chairman told the committee that awareness campaigns had already been conducted, but some traders continued to believe they could avoid penalties by not registering through the application.
Senate committee calls for awareness campaign
The committee recommended a broader awareness campaign, including advertisements and information leaflets in markets, to explain the scheme and its requirements to traders.
The limited registration comes despite an overall increase in tax return filing. The FBR informed the committee that it had received 5.5 million returns so far, compared with 4 million during the corresponding period last year.
Officials also highlighted a significant compliance gap among commercial electricity consumers. Pakistan has approximately 4.3 million commercial electricity meters, but only around 600,000 commercial meter holders had filed tax returns.
The figures highlight the challenge facing the FBR as it seeks to expand the tax base and bring more businesses into the documented economy.
The committee also discussed income tax refunds for Gumcrop (Pvt.) Ltd. and Oleocrop (Pvt.) Ltd. The FBR chairman assured lawmakers that the outstanding refunds would be released within 15 days.
Separately, the committee was briefed on alleged irregularities involving consumption certificates for Rs1.12 trillion worth of raw materials supplied to factories in tax-exempt areas of FATA and PATA. Five people have been arrested, and investigations are continuing.