ISLAMABAD: The government has stepped up efforts to bring shopkeepers into the tax net under the Easy Tax Scheme (Asaan Tax Scheme), directing commissioners of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) across the country to intensify awareness campaigns and engage local tax bars to facilitate registration of traders.
This was decided at a review meeting on the Easy Tax Scheme for shopkeepers, chaired by Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani here on Tuesday.
Progress on registration and the joint strategy of the FBR officials and trader representatives was reviewed.
The meeting directed tax commissioners across the country to establish contacts with local tax bars so that shopkeepers could also seek assistance from tax lawyers of their choice in filling out registration forms.
Addressing the meeting, Bilal Azhar Kayani said information about the Easy Tax Scheme should reach every shopkeeper with the help of trader representatives.
He said the government had fulfilled its commitment by implementing the scheme in accordance with traders’ demands, adding that it was now the responsibility of shopkeepers to make the scheme successful.
The meeting was briefed that lists of local trader representatives had been received from across the country for joint visits to markets by FBR officials and trader representatives.
The participants reviewed progress on the strategy for registration in markets, with FBR officials and trader representatives working together in their respective areas.
The meeting was attended by Member Strategic Transformation Dr Hamid Atiq, Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal, and senior FBR officials, while chief commissioners and commissioners from across the country participated through video link.
Under the Easy Tax Scheme, shopkeepers have been provided with two options for meeting their tax obligations. They can either pay a fixed tax based on their turnover under the simplified scheme or continue to file their regular tax returns under the existing system.
However, shopkeepers who opt for neither of the two available mechanisms could face financial penalties under the terms agreed with trader representatives. Such a shopkeeper would be liable to a penalty of Rs10,000 in the first month, Rs25,000 in the second month and Rs50,000 in the third month.
The government has positioned the scheme as a simplified mechanism aimed at expanding the tax base while reducing compliance difficulties for small traders.
A key feature of the scheme is that shopkeepers registered under the Easy Tax Scheme will receive greater protection from routine FBR intervention. FBR officials will not be permitted to enter the premises of participating shops for routine purposes, while such businesses will generally not be subjected to audit.
On September 15, Bilal Azhar Kayani had installed a green plate at the shop of a trader registered under the Easy Tax Scheme, symbolising the government’s drive to expand participation in the scheme. The government is now relying on trader representatives, tax bars and field formations of the FBR to accelerate registration and create awareness among shopkeepers about the available options.
The latest move comes as the government seeks to widen the tax base by bringing previously under-taxed retail businesses into the formal tax system while offering them a simplified compliance mechanism.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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