Fixed Tax Asaan Scheme a historic milestone: PBIF

KARACHI: Mian Zahid Hussain, president of the Pakistan Businessmen and Intellectuals Forum (PBIF), the All Karachi Industrial Alliance (AKIA) and chairman of the National Business Group Pakistan and of the FPCCI’s Policy Advisory Board, has welcomed the government’s newly introduced “Fixed Tax Asaan Scheme” for traders. He termed it a crucial and historic milestone toward documenting the national economy and expanding the tax net. Mian Zahid Hussain stated that having learned from the failure of past initiatives like the “Tajir Dost Scheme”, this new scheme, which had been formulated through a comprehensive consultation with the traders’ community, would yield excellent results. He said that the wholesale and retail sectors accounted for 18 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), yet their tax contribution remained a meager four percent. Out of the 4. 4 million traders in the country, only around 300, 000 filed tax returns. Mian Zahid Hussain noted that this new scheme would encompass approximately 3. 5 million small traders and shopkeepers, which would not only eradicate tax evasion, but it would also strongly promote a documented economy. Highlighting the details of the scheme, the business leader said that imposing a nominal one percent fixed tax on small traders and shopkeepers with an annual turnover of up to Rs200 million was a highly prudent decision that would not impose an undue financial burden. The condition to pay a minimum tax of Rs25, 000 upon Form submission, coupled with the facility to adjust previously paid withholding taxes, would naturally attract traders to this system. Furthermore, the availability of simplified Tax Forms in local languages — Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto and Balochi -— would make the filing process extremely convenient for the average shopkeeper. Mian Zahid Hussain also emphasized that exempting the adopters of this scheme from mandatory Point of Sale (POS) integration and tax audits had been a major and commendable relief by the government. This would dispel the prevailing fear among the business community and permanently close the doors to “harassment by the FBR personnel”. The PBIF chief endorsed the government’s strategy and added that excluding branded outlets and Tier-1 large retailers from this fixed scheme was a fair step, as this segment had already been apart of the organized sector. Similarly, exempting the smallest vendors, such as those operating kiosks and pushcarts, reflected an excellent “pro-poor policy”. Appreciating the provision for displaying special QR code number plates at shops, he said this would not only prohibit the unjustified physical entry of tax inspectors into business premises, but it would also add to the business profile and reputation of the traders. Verification of number plates would now be conducted simply by scanning the QR code, which would foster a highly conducive and peaceful business environment. Mian Zahid Hussain said that strict penalties for traders who chose to remain outside the fixed and normal tax regimes — fines of Rs10, 000 in the first month, Rs25, 000 in the second, and Rs51, 000 in the third — were steps in the right direction. The PBIF chief urged trade organizations and chambers across the country to embrace this simplified tax system and ensure their inclusion in the Active Taxpayer List (ATL). Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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