KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has presented Aasan Tax Return as a major opportunity for small traders and shopkeepers to enter Pakistan’s formal tax system through a simpler and more business-friendly process.
Member Inland Revenue (IR) Zubair Bilal described the facility as one of the most liberal tax initiatives introduced for traders in decades. Speaking at an awareness and facilitation session organised by the Karachi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (KCCI), he urged small businesses to take advantage of the simplified mechanism and regularise their tax affairs voluntarily.
Zubair Bilal said his 31 years of service had exposed him to several schemes designed to bring traders into the tax net. However, he said the current initiative stood out because of its relatively simple procedures and trader-friendly approach.
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The session brought together a large number of small traders, shopkeepers and business representatives. KCCI President Muhammad Rehan Hanif, Senior Vice President Muhammad Raza, Vice President Muhammad Arif Lakhani, Businessmen Group (BMG) Vice Chairmen Anjum Nisar and Jawed Bilwani, Federal Taxation Subcommittee Chairman Abu Bakar Siddique Ahmed Shamsi and other members of the business community attended the event.
Bilal asked traders not to approach the initiative with fear or suspicion. Instead, he encouraged them to view formal tax registration as an opportunity that could provide greater certainty while allowing them to operate their businesses with more confidence.
He said authorities could not achieve sustainable tax compliance through pressure alone. Traders, he argued, needed clear guidance, facilitation and an understanding of how compliance could benefit both their businesses and the country.
Using an example from everyday life, Bilal said people could not effectively motivate others through constant coercion. In the same way, he said, bringing small traders into the tax system required trust and persuasion rather than intimidation.
He urged shopkeepers and market representatives who attended the KCCI session to share information about the facility with fellow traders and encourage them to use the simplified filing mechanism.
Bilal also assured the business community that the tax administration had established a grievance-redressal mechanism to address genuine concerns. He said officials would remain accessible to traders and would work to resolve legitimate difficulties.
He highlighted Karachi’s major contribution to Pakistan’s revenue collection, praising the city’s business community for its role in supporting the national economy. According to Bilal, even a single Large Taxpayers Office in Karachi accounts for roughly one-third of the country’s tax collection, while the city’s overall contribution becomes considerably larger when other tax offices are included.
The FBR official also praised Karachi as a diverse, multicultural and industrious city, saying its business community had demonstrated a strong work ethic and made an exceptional contribution to Pakistan.
Discussing the broader principle of voluntary tax compliance, Bilal said taxpayers should recognise that the revenue they contribute ultimately supports Pakistan and its public needs. He stressed that building trust between tax officials and traders would be crucial to the success of the new initiative.
The simplified system also includes verification features such as QR-code-based checks, allowing taxpayers to verify relevant documentation using their mobile phones. The measure is intended to strengthen transparency and increase confidence in the tax-filing process.
Bilal called on traders attending the KCCI event to become ambassadors for the initiative in their respective markets and help dispel misconceptions surrounding tax compliance.
The awareness session gave small traders an opportunity to interact directly with senior tax officials, learn about the simplified return-filing process and raise concerns about implementation. The strong turnout reflected significant interest among Karachi’s trading community in understanding the new tax facility.
