RTO Lahore urges shopkeepers to join fixed tax scheme
LAHORE: Chief Commissioner Regional Tax Office-1(RTO-1) Lahore Amna Faiz Bhatti on Thursday urged shopkeepers to register under the fixed tax scheme and file their returns by September 30, 2026, describing the initiative as an amnesty aimed at bringing more traders into the tax net. Speaking at a briefing for journalists at the Inland Revenue Office in Old Anarkali, she said shopkeepers paying an…
RTO Lahore has urged shopkeepers to join a new fixed tax scheme by September 30, 2026, in an effort to bring more traders into the tax net and provide some relief to small businesses. Chief Commissioner Amna Faiz Bhatti described the initiative as an amnesty, offering exemption from audit for shopkeepers paying an annual tax of Rs25,000.
The scheme, introduced under Section 99B of SRO-1, is aimed at small shopkeepers with an annual turnover of less than Rs200 million and excludes tier-1 retailers, goldsmiths, and those earning agricultural income. Officials emphasized that the registration form is available in Urdu and can be completed via the Tax Asaan app, with a QR code displayed outside shops to minimize interactions between traders and tax officials.
However, misuse of the facility would result in mandatory audits. Bhatti hopes greater transparency will encourage more traders to register and expressed confidence that the "targeted" taxpayer mindset has discouraged many shopkeepers from joining the formal tax system.
Brief written by urgent.news from Business Recorder's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
