Govt launches mobile app for small traders’ tax scheme

The government of Pakistan launched a mobile application on Wednesday for its Fixed Tax Asaan Scheme, enabling small traders and shopkeepers to file their tax returns through the app. The scheme aimed at traders with an annual turnover of up to Rs200 million. At a press conference, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb and Bilal Azhar Kayani, the Minister of State for Finance, highlighted the practical start of the project that had been in development for months.

Kayani praised the trader community for their involvement and noted that the tax scheme was announced ahead of the federal budget on June 5. The government collaborated closely with trader representatives throughout the app's development, aiming to create a system that would benefit both the government and traders by expanding the tax net and increasing the number of tax filers.

The app was designed to be user-friendly, available in Urdu on Google Play Store, and provide a digital plate to registered traders. The tax payable would be one percent of declared sales, with a minimum tax liability of Rs25,000. Traders not required to install point-of-sale machines or act as withholding agents. The Minister of State for Finance assured that traders registering under the scheme would receive the digital plate for free if they completed registration before the tax-filing deadline.

The app, initially available in Urdu, would soon be extended to include other languages such as Pashto, Balochi, and Sindhi.