Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday directed authorities to intensify action against smuggling and tax evasion to protect Pakistan’s economy. He chaired a weekly review meeting on the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) performance, praising recent customs operations. The PM emphasized that no leniency would be shown to smugglers or tax evaders. During the meeting, […]
revenue collection
FBR digitalisation boosts returns but misses big non-filer gap
Tax experts have warned that the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) digitalisation efforts will have limited impact without targeting non-filers. Currently, Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio stands at 10-11%, and FBR aims to raise it to 18% by 2027-28. Analysts say increasing return filings alone will not significantly improve revenue. Karachi Tax Bar Association vice president Faiq […]
FBR launches audits of doctors, beauty parlors, and paint sector
ISLAMABAD – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has intensified audits targeting high-earning doctors, beauty parlors, and private companies in the paint sector in major Pakistani cities, including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. The move comes as part of Pakistan’s commitment to strict conditions set by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Read More: FBR faces Rs270 billion […]
FBR targets tile sector for Rs30bn tax evasion with camera monitoring
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s tile industry has been flagged for evading nearly Rs30 billion in annual Sales Tax, prompting the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to tighten monitoring across 17 industrial sectors. FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial announced that camera-based production tracking will be implemented to curb widespread tax manipulation, following successful interventions in the sugar and cement […]
FBR to monitor cigarette production digitally to curb tax evasion
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a new initiative to digitally monitor the entire tobacco-to-cigarette value chain in an effort to curb widespread tax evasion in the sector. The tax authority has directed all cigarette factories and green leaf threshing stations to install IP-based CCTV cameras at designated points to track production […]
PM Shehbaz credits FBR reforms for record rise in tax return filings
ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday linked the filing of 892,419 new tax returns for tax year 2025 to growing public confidence in the government’s reform and digitisation agenda. His statement followed the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) announcement that 5.912 million tax returns were filed for 2025 — up from 5.025 million […]
Pakistan, IMF agree to cut tax target by Rs150 billion
ISLAMABAD: The government has reached an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to reduce Pakistan’s tax collection target by Rs150 billion, official sources confirmed on Thursday. According to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials, the target has been revised down from Rs14.131 trillion to Rs13.981 trillion for the current fiscal year. The IMF, however, has […]
ICCI desires to introduce structural reforms in FBR to enhance its capacity
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) President Sardar Yasir Ilyas Khan suggested introduction of structural reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to enhance its capacity for achieving the target of the country’s revenue. “Automation through modern information technology tools, gradual reduction of human intervention in the system and professional staff is […]