The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has so far received only 181 simplified tax returns under the Aasaan Tax Scheme for retailers, generating Rs18 million in tax payments. There are around 3.5 million retailers across the country, and the government introduced the scheme to bring them into the tax net. Minister of State for Finance Bilal Azhar Kiani said around 5,000 retailers had registered with the Aasaan Tax Scheme He said the first 50 green plates had been issued to compliant retailers in different cities, with the first plate issued to a trader in Peshawar.

Retailers displaying the green plates would be protected from routine FBR visits, questioning and audits under the scheme, he added. Separately, the FBR has received 2.7 million income tax returns, accompanied by tax payments of Rs6.1 billion, up to September 16, 2026, compared with 1.9 million returns during the corresponding period of the previous financial year. Of the 2.7 million returns filed in the current fiscal year, 1.85 million were submitted by non-salaried taxpayers and 0.95 million by salaried taxpayers.

The FBR received 7 million returns during the last financial year and has set a target of 8.5 million filers for the full 2026-27 fiscal year. Another concern is the increasing number of nil/null returns. In the past, the FBR received between 2.6 million and 3 million returns showing nil or null income.

Speaking to the media at the launch of the FBR's trader tax initiative, Kiani said the scheme had been developed after extensive consultations with representatives of the business community. He said every major concern raised by traders had been discussed in detail and the scheme was designed with their guidance to make the tax system simpler, more transparent and business-friendly. The initiative is primarily aimed at bringing small businesses and shopkeepers into the documented tax system without exposing them to unnecessary official procedures and interference, he added.

"The FBR's routine interference will end once the green plate is installed, and its officials will not visit the shop for unnecessary inquiries," Kiani said. He said the government was also working to address complaints raised by traders and restore their confidence in the tax system so that more small businesses could voluntarily become part of the tax net. The minister said the scheme would provide traders with a straightforward mechanism for registration and filing returns while protecting them from unnecessary paperwork, repeated official visits and arbitrary action.

Central Anjuman Tajran President Ajmal Baloch welcomed the scheme, saying traders had been demanding such a system for several years and had also staged protests in its support. He said the government had finally accepted the longstanding demand of the business community and claimed the new mechanism would help end what he described as the FBR's corruption-ridden system. Tanzeem-e-Tajran Pakistan President Kashif Chaudhry described the initiative as highly beneficial for small traders, saying it would reduce their fear of the FBR and help end raids on business premises.

He said protection from routine inspections, questioning and audits would encourage more shopkeepers and small business owners to register and pay taxes through the simplified system.