Only 181 Retailers File Returns Under Aasaan Tax Scheme Despite 3.5 Million Operating
The Federal Board of Revenue has received only 181 simplified tax returns under the Aasaan Tax Scheme for retailers so far, generating Rs. 18 million in tax payments, despite around 3.5 million retailers operating across the country.
Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani said around 5,000 retailers had registered through the Aasaan Tax Scheme app and were in the process of filing their simplified returns.
He said the first 50 green plates had been issued to compliant retailers in different cities, with the first plate issued to a trader in Peshawar. Retailers displaying the green plates will be protected from routine FBR visits, questioning and audits under the scheme.
Separately, the FBR has received 2.7 million income tax returns, along with tax payments of Rs. 6.1 billion, up to September 16, 2026. This compares with 1.9 million returns filed during the same period of the previous financial year.
Of the 2.7 million returns filed in the current fiscal year, 1.85 million were submitted by nonsalaried taxpayers and 0.95 million by salaried taxpayers. The FBR received 7 million returns during the last financial year and has set a target of 8.5 million filers for fiscal year 2026-27.
The FBR is also facing a rise in nil or null returns. In previous years, the tax authority received between 2.6 million and 3 million returns showing nil or null income.
The initiative aims to bring small businesses and shopkeepers into the documented tax system without exposing them to unnecessary official procedures and interference. Kiani said FBR officials would not visit shops for unnecessary inquiries once the green plate was installed.
He said the government was also working to address complaints raised by traders and restore their confidence in the tax system. The scheme provides a simplified mechanism for registration and filing returns while reducing paperwork, repeated official visits and arbitrary action.
Central Anjuman Tajran President Ajmal Baloch welcomed the scheme, saying traders had demanded such a system for several years and had staged protests in its support. He said the government had accepted the longstanding demand of the business community.
Tanzeem e Tajran Pakistan President Kashif Chaudhry also welcomed the initiative, saying it would reduce small traders’ concerns about the FBR and help end raids on business premises. He said protection from routine inspections, questioning and audits could encourage more shopkeepers and small business owners to register and pay taxes through the simplified system.
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