Advance tax confuses people because it’s collected before you even file a return — here’s what it actually is and how it reconciles against your final liability. What Advance Tax Actually Is Advance tax is income tax collected in installments during the tax year, before your annual return is filed — rather than waiting for … Read more
“Business registration” means something different depending on your structure — this is a documents-and-process reference, not another general “how to start” guide. See our full starting-a-business guide for the broader decision-making walkthrough. What “Registration” Actually Requires, by Structure Sole Proprietorship Valid CNIC Active mobile number and personal email for IRIS registration No SECP registration — … Read more
We register dozens of NTNs a month for clients, and the same handful of mistakes cause most of the delays. Here’s what actually matters. 1. Register Through IRIS, Not a Third Party Promising a Shortcut NTN registration is free and done directly through FBR’s IRIS portal. Anyone charging a large fee purely for “registration” (as … Read more
“Filer verification” and “checking your filer status” are the same thing described two ways — confirming whether you’re currently on FBR’s Active Taxpayer List (ATL). Here’s how to actually do it, and why it matters for more than just curiosity. To check a filer quickly, use our ATL verification tool. How to Verify Your Filer … Read more
Before you even get to choosing a specific company type, there’s a more basic decision: sole proprietorship, partnership, or a registered company. Each has a genuinely different tax treatment and liability exposure — here’s how they actually compare. Sole Proprietorship The simplest structure — you and the business are legally the same entity. No separate … Read more
Important update: Section 7E (deemed rental income tax on property) was repealed under the Finance Act 2026-27. If you’re reading older guidance — including our own previous version of this post — that treats 7E as an active, ongoing obligation, that information is now outdated. This page explains what Section 7E was, why it was … Read more
Section 116(3) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 requires certain taxpayers to file a Wealth Statement alongside their income tax return — a declaration, filed through FBR IRIS, of everything you own (assets) and owe (liabilities) as of the tax year-end, and how your net wealth changed from the previous year. Who Has to File … Read more
If you earn through Fiverr, Upwork, or similar platforms as a Pakistani freelancer, you’re required to declare that income and file a return just like any other earner — the “it’s foreign platform income, FBR won’t know” assumption is wrong and increasingly risky, since banks now report foreign inward remittances that FBR can cross-check against … Read more
If you don’t have internet access handy but need to check whether you’re on FBR‘s Active Taxpayer List, SMS is the fastest fallback — no app, no login, works on any phone with a SIM signal. You can also use our Active Taxpayer List (ATL) check online with a CNIC or NTN. Importing a mobile … Read more
SECP company registration fees in Pakistan depend on your company’s authorized capital and the online/manual filing route — here’s the real cost structure, not just “it depends.” What Determines the Fee Company type — Single Member Company (SMC-Private), Private Limited, or Public Limited each have different fee schedules Authorized share capital — fees scale with … Read more
