FBR Launches Geo-Tagged POS Enforcement Drive

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is launching geo-tagged surveys in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad to identify shops not linked to Point of Sale (POS) systems. The move follows pressure from the International Monetary Fund, which has maintained its Rs. 50 billion indicative target and urged the FBR to act before the 2025–26 budget cycle.

FBR teams will visit large malls and commercial zones to find retailers and wholesalers who are either avoiding POS use or underreporting transactions. The authority estimates that 50,000 to 100,000 shops still need to be integrated into the system. To ensure compliance, FBR is developing penalties for those issuing receipts outside the POS network. A similar system is already in place for restaurants and hotels in Islamabad.

Last week, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb reported that tax declarations from traders reached Rs. 413 billion this fiscal year—more than double last year’s Rs. 187 billion. However, Federal Board of Revenue – FBR noted that most of this was due to adjustments, not full payments.

With Pakistan’s tax collection target revised down to Rs. 12,332 billion, and Rs. 8.43 trillion already collected, FBR now aims to strengthen enforcement to meet the new June 2025 deadline.