ISLAMABAD (MNN); The Federal Board of Revenue has instructed more than 14 categories of businesses to install compulsory Point of Sale systems and integrate them with its real-time online monitoring network in an effort to tighten tax enforcement and improve compliance.
Under the latest directive, a wide range of service-oriented sectors must digitally connect their sales and service transactions to the FBR’s central system. These include hotels, restaurants, hospitals, marriage halls, fitness centres, swimming pools, beauty salons, courier services, and accountancy firms. The move requires businesses to electronically record and transmit transaction data directly to the tax authority.
Officials said the measure aims to document economic activity more effectively and reduce underreporting of revenue. By linking businesses to a centralised digital platform, the FBR will be able to monitor transactions instantly and detect discrepancies in declared sales and tax payments.
Certain small-scale entities, however, have been granted exemptions under defined criteria. Relief applies to businesses operating on a limited scale, specific air-conditioned outlets meeting prescribed conditions, hospitals charging less than PKR 500 per patient, and educational institutions where monthly fees are below PKR 1,000.
Beyond service providers, the directive also covers retailers, manufacturers, importers, currency exchange companies, and vocational training institutes. These sectors are required to complete integration with the FBR’s digital tax framework within the stipulated timeline.
The initiative forms part of broader reforms to enhance transparency, plug revenue leakages, and bring commercial operations under stricter electronic supervision. Authorities are expected to enforce the new requirements rigorously in major cities such as Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, with particular focus on clubs, gyms, and multi-purpose commercial facilities.
