KARACHI: Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) officials sealed two outlets of popular burger restaurant chain Burger O’clock over alleged sales tax evasion.

According to the details, the sealed branches were located at Dolmen Mall Clifton and Sindhi Muslim Cooperative Housing Society. SRB said the restaurants suppressed sales figures leading to huge losses in Sindh Sales Tax (SST) revenue.

This action comes just 20 days after SRB sealed two outlets of Red Apple restaurant chain on similar grounds on November 23.

According to SRB, Burger O’clock violated the Sindh Sales Tax on Services Act 2011 and Sindh Sales Tax Special Procedure Rules 2022 despite earlier assurances of compliance. The rules mandate large restaurants to integrate point-of-sale systems with SRB for real-time tax monitoring. However, Burger O’clock failed to deposit the evaded tax amounts.

With back-to-back punitive actions, SRB has strongly signalled zero tolerance for eateries dodging tax obligations. The authority has vowed similarly strict punishments for other restaurants flouting provincial taxation rules. It continues striving to strengthen tax compliance monitoring across Sindh.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023