Asan Tax Scheme Registers 9,806 Shopkeepers in First Month

• The government says 9,806 shopkeepers have registered under the scheme, including 1,929 entering the tax system for the first time.
• So far, 428 shopkeepers have filed their returns.
• The FBR has been directed to address technical complaints and remain in daily contact with trader representatives.

Nearly 10,000 shopkeepers have registered under the Asan Tax Scheme in its first month, the government said on Friday. Of the 9,806 registrants, 1,929 are entering the tax system for the first time, while 428 have submitted their tax returns.

The figures were presented at a review meeting chaired by Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani. Officials said shopkeepers from both smaller towns and major cities were among those who had filed returns. Other registered shopkeepers were at different stages of the filing process.

Trader representatives and tax lawyers raised technical concerns about the scheme’s implementation. Kayani directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to resolve those issues immediately and issue FBR plates as soon as possible to shopkeepers who have filed their returns.

Kayani described the scheme as a facility designed specifically for shopkeepers and urged more traders to register. He said the scheme gave them a way to enter the tax system and file their returns.

The meeting agreed that traders and FBR officials would remain in daily contact to address implementation issues. Officials were also asked to strengthen engagement with tax bars and lawyers. Tax commissioners briefed participants on their discussions with tax bars in their respective areas.

Officials said an Urdu-language booklet had been issued explaining the scheme, the previous return-filing procedure and the penalties that apply after the deadline. Under the scheme, a shopkeeper who fails to pay tax after the deadline faces a penalty of Rs10,000 in the first month, Rs25,000 in the second and Rs50,000 in the third.

Trader representatives welcomed the initiative and assured the meeting of their cooperation, while saying it would take time to make shopkeepers aware of the new process.

Trader leaders Ajmal Baloch and Kashif Chaudhry attended the meeting alongside FBR Member Strategic Transformation Dr Hamid Atiq, Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal and other senior officials. Chief commissioners and commissioners from across the country joined by video link.