Marriage halls: RTO Hyderabad seeks greater tax compliance

KARACHI: The Regional Tax Office (RTO) Hyderabad and representatives of the Marriage Hall Association have agreed to adopt an evidence-based approach to improve voluntary tax compliance under Section 236D of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.

Sajjad Akbar, Chief Commissioner, RTO Hyderabad, chaired a meeting with the Marriage Hall Association at his office to discuss compliance with tax deductions under Section 236D.

Tax officials outlined RTO Hyderabad’s policy of encouraging voluntary compliance and resolving tax matters through engagement rather than enforcement action wherever possible.

The two sides examined the criteria used to determine taxable amounts for functions and gatherings, including booking and function rates, occupancy levels, seasonal fluctuations, and differences tied to a hall’s location, size, and category. Participants agreed that these parameters should be assessed against actual business conditions using reliable and verifiable industry data.

Marriage Hall Association representatives acknowledged their obligation to comply with Section 236D and said they would support efforts to ensure tax is properly collected and deposited. Both sides agreed that future parameters should be based on evidence-based data that accounts for variations in hall location, size, category, the scale of functions, market conditions, seasonal trends and regional business practices.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026