As many as 428 retailers have so far availed themselves of the highly favorable Asaan Tax Scheme throughout the country, out of which only three are fresh filers. These 428 retailers have deposited Rs33 million in the national kitty. Only a few days are left before the September 30, 2026, deadline, and the latest retailers' scheme is heading towards failure.
In the last 30 years, it would be another scheme that is going to meet with the fate of failure if the shopkeepers prefer not to avail themselves of it in the next few days, although estimates suggest there are over 3.6 million retailers across the country. The government has envisaged a target to collect Rs50 billion with the help of the retailers scheme. However, in an official meeting it was informed on Friday that nearly 10,000 shopkeepers have signed up for the Asaan Tax Scheme in its first month.
Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani chaired the meeting where officials briefed on progress and shopkeepers discussed their concerns. According to details, 9,806 shopkeepers joined the Asan Tax Scheme within one month of its launch and were at various stages of filing their tax returns. The meeting was informed that 1,929 of those registered were joining the tax system for the first time, while 428 shopkeepers had already filed their returns.
Shopkeepers from both small and major cities were among those filing returns. Kayani directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to immediately address technical objections raised by shopkeepers and lawyers regarding implementation of the scheme. The meeting decided to ensure daily contact between traders and FBR officials to facilitate implementation of the scheme.
It was also decided to further enhance engagement with tax bars and lawyers. Trader representatives assured the meeting of their full cooperation, further stated that the scheme was a good initiative and that it might take some time to create awareness amongst the shopkeepers. Meanwhile, tax commissioners briefed participants on their engagement with tax bars in their respective areas.