FBR  issues strong warning to non-filers

Islamabad: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued a strong warning to non-filers, emphasizing potential fines, utility discontinuation, and bank account suspension.

 In severe instances, non-filers could even face travel restrictions on airports and motorways.

To avert these repercussions, the FBR is urging non-filers to promptly visit the nearest tax office for registration. Recent media reports suggest that the FBR has initiated a comprehensive survey of business and commercial entities across the country to identify non-filers.

Pakistan, with a population exceeding 240 million, currently maintains a meager tax base of approximately 5.2 million individuals. The prevalence of widespread tax evasion and a low tax-to-GDP ratio poses a substantial challenge for the nation.

In response to this issue, the FBR has launched a nationwide campaign to expand the tax base, targeting all eligible individuals and those with taxable income, urging them to register with the tax system and submit their returns. The FBR has already amassed data on hundreds of thousands of financial transactions involving individuals still outside the tax net.

With the objective of adding 1.5 million new taxpayers to the existing list, the FBR is taking stringent measures to enhance tax compliance and revenue generation.