LAHORE: Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Fiza Batool has urged small shopkeepers and retailers to benefit from the fixed tax scheme which has been designed to facilitate small businesses through simplified compliance, a one-page return and a tax rate of 1 percent of turnover, subject to a minimum tax of Rs 25,000.
Speaking at the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), she said the scheme introduced through SRO 1166(I)/2026 was aimed at bringing more small businesses into the documented economy by making taxation easier, transparent and less burdensome.
Fiza Batool said under the scheme, eligible businesses would be facilitated through exemptions from routine audit, Point of Sale (POS) integration and digital invoicing requirements, while a green plate would be provided to registered shopkeepers to facilitate inspection. She said the scheme was voluntary and traders could either continue filing returns under the normal tax regime or opt for the new simplified regime.
The chief commissioner said chambers played an important role as a bridge between the tax department and the business community. She assured the participants of full cooperation from the FBR and said the doors of the department’s offices were open to businesspeople for resolution of their genuine concerns.
She informed the LCCI members the FBR had established a helpline and WhatsApp facility for complaints and would also initiate an open-court mechanism to provide another platform for taxpayers to raise their issues.
Explaining the salient features, she said the scheme followed the principle of “One Page, One Return, One Percent” and required minimum information from eligible traders. The tax would be calculated at 1% of turnover, subject to a minimum liability of Rs 25,000.
She encouraged existing taxpayers and business organizations to create awareness among traders who were not currently filing tax returns and urged them to take advantage of the opportunity to declare their income and become part of the tax system through the simplified regime.
LCCI President Faheem Ur Rehman Saigol said that the introduction of a simplified fixed tax regime for small traders was a longstanding demand of the Lahore Chamber. LCCI had always advocated an easy, transparent and workable taxation system for small traders and shopkeepers so that they could fulfill their tax obligations without facing complicated procedures, he added.
He said the objective should be to make taxation easier so that businesses voluntarily enter the tax net. This would not only broaden the tax base but also help create a level playing field for existing taxpayers who were already fulfilling their obligations.
He stressed that the process of tax reform should continue and called for a broader effort to make the tax system simpler, more transparent and business-friendly.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026