Asaan Tax Scheme draws nearly 10,000 shopkeepers in first month

September 25, 2026 (MLN):  Nearly 10,000 shopkeepers have registered under the Asaan Tax Scheme within a month of its launch, with 428 of them already having filed their tax returns, a review meeting on the scheme was told on Friday.

The meeting was chaired by Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, where officials briefed participants on the scheme's progress and shopkeepers raised their concerns regarding its rollout.

Details shared at the meeting showed that 9,806 shopkeepers had signed up for the scheme in its first month and were at various stages of filing returns, with enrolment coming from both small and major cities, said a press release issued.

Of those registered, 1,929 were entering the tax net for the first time.

Bilal Azhar Kayani directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to swiftly resolve the technical objections raised by shopkeepers and lawyers over the scheme's implementation, and instructed authorities to issue FBR plates to shopkeepers who had already filed their returns without delay.

He described the scheme as a facility built exclusively for shopkeepers, unavailable to any other business segment, and said he expected more shopkeepers to come on board, noting that its launch had removed any justification for traders to remain outside the tax net.

The meeting resolved to keep traders and FBR officials in daily contact to support the scheme's implementation, and to deepen engagement with tax bars and lawyers.

Participants were told that an Urdu-language booklet on the scheme had been released, laying out the new filing process, the earlier procedure, and the penalties that would apply after the deadline.

Briefing the meeting, officials said penalties would apply after the deadline to those who fail to pay taxes, whether under the Asaan Tax Scheme or the regular procedure, with the amount rising the longer payment is delayed.

Trader representatives pledged full cooperation, describing the scheme as a worthwhile initiative while cautioning that building awareness among shopkeepers would take time. Tax commissioners separately updated participants on their engagement with tax bars in their respective regions.

The meeting was attended by trader leaders Ajmal Baloch and Kashif Chaudhry, Member Strategic Transformation Dr Hamid Atiq, Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal, and senior FBR officials, with chief commissioners and commissioners from across the country joining via video link.

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