Islamabad, January 24, 2025 – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has intensified its oversight of commercial importers by introducing a new declaration requirement under the Sales Tax Laws, as part of its ongoing efforts to enhance tax compliance.
On January 24, 2025, the FBR issued SRO 55(I)/2025, making amendments to the Sales Tax Rules of 2006, marking a significant shift in the way businesses report their activities.
The changes primarily affect Annexure J of the monthly sales tax returns. Under the new regulations, all registered manufacturers involved in the supply of taxable goods must now include detailed information about the goods they produce and supply. Specifically, manufacturers are required to furnish information on the goods they manufacture or produce, along with the goods supplied, in the updated Annexure J of their monthly return. This move is designed to provide a clearer picture of manufacturing activities, which will assist the FBR in tracking the movement and taxability of goods more effectively.
In a major development, the FBR has introduced a new Annexure HI, which targets registered commercial importers, distributors, and wholesalers who supply taxable goods. As per the amended regulations, these commercial importers are now obligated to submit detailed data regarding the goods they import or purchase, as well as those they supply. The information that must be provided in Annexure HI includes the HS Code, unit of measure, sales tax rate, and additional details such as the opening balance of goods, including the value and quantity of goods in stock.
Moreover, the declaration under Annexure HI also requires commercial importers to provide details of the goods they have purchased or imported during the month, along with the value and quantity of these goods. Further, they must include information about domestic taxable supplies, exempt goods, zero-rated domestic supplies, and any goods exported during the month.
Along with these new requirements for importers, the FBR has amended Annexure J to include changes related to production data, further enhancing the transparency of business activities. These steps are part of the FBR’s broader strategy to clamp down on tax evasion and ensure that all businesses, particularly commercial importers, are contributing fairly to the national tax revenue. The new rules aim to tighten compliance and provide the tax authority with a more comprehensive view of economic activities.