Today is no longer just another tax deadline for shopkeepers. According to reports quoting FBR sources, the FBR plans Rs 25,000 penalty charges for traders who file under the Easy Tax Scheme after October 15, with a further Rs 25,000 in registration charges.
That is Rs 50,000 for a small trader who files one day late, before any other surcharge or tax.
Final Hour before the Income Tax return filing cutoff
The income tax return filing cutoff for Tax Year 2026 is midnight today. Few hours remain.
Markets, trade bodies and chambers have spent the past week lobbying for an extension. The Pakistan Tax Bar Association requested an extension for traders to December 2.
FBR has ruled out any further extension. This evening, midnight holds.
About 6.6 million returns had been filed nationally as of October 13. Far fewer are coming from small traders.
Why FBR is targeting Traders
The Easy Tax Scheme (often still called the Tajir Dost scheme) was built for small retailers, charging 1% of declared annual sales, with a minimum of Rs 25,000.
The response has been poor. Fewer than 150 new returns had been filed under the plan till mid-October, reports claim.
The Minister of State for Finance has raised concern over the low numbers. Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb has said the scheme will extend beyond 2026.
FBR has begun physically mapping markets and shops across the country. Unregistered traders are no longer invisible.
What the FBR plans Rs 25,000 Penalty means for Traders.
According to reports released on October 13 and 14, a trader who files under the Easy Tax Scheme after October 15 would be charged two fees.
The first is a Rs 25,000 penalty for late filing.
The second is Rs 25,000 in registration charges.
Together, that is Rs 50,000 for a trader who misses tonight’s deadline.
The same reports claim that any extension for late registration and filing would only be given when these amounts are paid.
Treat it as real, even before the notification.
These details come from FBR sources. FBR has not yet issued a formal notification on the legal basis.
Earlier reports described a different staged penalty for scheme traders: Rs 10,000, then Rs 25,000, then Rs 50,000 over 3 months.
The exact structure may change. The direction will not. Filing late is going to cost traders far more than it ever did.
The FBR plans Rs 25,000 penalty charges precisely because voluntary compliance has failed. Traders should seek enforcement, not leniency.
The End of the Late filer category
Until this year, late filers had a fallback. On several transactions, they paid softer rates than non-filers.
That category has been abolished. A trader who files after midnight does not appear on the new Active Taxpayer List.
Active Taxpayer List restoration after the deadline
To return to the list, one has to pay a supplementary surcharge under Section 182A.
Active taxpayer list restoration now costs far more than before.
| Taxpayer | Old surcharge | New surcharge |
|---|---|---|
| Individuals and sole traders | Rs 1,000 | Rs 25,000 |
| Associations of Persons | Rs 10,000 | Rs 50,000 |
| Companies | Rs 20,000 | Rs 100,000 |
A partnership firm operating a shop pays the AOP rate.
The ordinary Section 182 penalty for late filing applies as well. For business individuals, its minimum is Rs 50,000.
It has not been officially clarified how the scheme charges link with these broad penalties. Late traders should assume they could face more than one.
What Changes tomorrow morning
Missing the deadline impacts a trader’s daily business, not just their tax file.
Cash withdrawals and banking
Traders handle a lot of cash. Non-filers would have to pay 0.6% advance tax on cash withdrawals beyond Rs 50,000 a day.
A shopkeeper withdrawing Rs 300,000 a week to pay suppliers would lose about Rs 1,800 every week. That is more than Rs 90,000 a year.
Property deals
Advance tax on selling property is levied under Section 236C, and on buying under Section 236K.
The property transfer withholding tax rates Pakistan registrars apply are much higher for non-filers. On a commercial plot or shop purchase, the extra tax can run into hundreds of thousands of rupees.
Registrars also record every transfer to the FBR. A trader who is buying a property and reporting minimal revenue is asking for an audit.
Electricity bills and vehicles
Tax collected on commercial electricity bills, vehicle registration and token tax is all higher for non-filers.
Your commercial meter is tied to your CNIC. FBR is already using that data to find unregistered shops.
What Traders should do before midnight?
Log in to the Asaan Tajir app or IRIS now. Don’t wait for the final hour, when the system slows down.
Have your CNIC, NTN, shop address, and commercial meter details ready.
Declare your annual sales honestly. The tax is 1%, with a minimum of Rs 25,000.
Pay by PSID. Submit and download the acknowledgement.
Then check your status with our ATL status check guide.
Traders with more than the scheme limit, or with more than one outlet, are filed under the standard regime. Get advice if you are unsure which applies to you.
Don’t Let Your Shop become a non-filer tomorrow.
A return filed tonight costs the scheme tax and nothing more. Tomorrow, the same return filed could cost you Rs 50,000 more, plus months of non-filer deductions on every withdrawal.
The FBR-registered consultants at TaxAccountant.pk are working through the evening for shopkeepers, traders, and business owners.
