The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and representatives of traders’ associations have agreed to conduct joint registration drives for shopkeepers across markets in all four provinces under the Easy Tax Scheme. The decision was taken during a review meeting chaired by Minister of State for Finance and Railways Bilal Azhar Kayani, as the government and trader representatives reviewed progress on implementation of the scheme. Dawn reported the development on September 16, 2026.
Under the agreed arrangement, FBR officials and trader representatives will jointly visit local markets to facilitate the registration of shopkeepers. Officials from regional and corporate tax offices will accompany trade leaders at pre-scheduled times, allowing registration activities to be carried out directly in markets across the country. The approach is intended to make the registration process more accessible for traders while supporting the government’s efforts to broaden the tax base.
The review meeting examined the performance of regional tax offices under the scheme and assessed the progress made so far. Participants also discussed feedback received from traders regarding the implementation process. Trade leaders Ajmal Baloch and Kashif Chaudhry attended the meeting along with Member Inland Revenue Operations Zubair Bilal, senior FBR officials, chief commissioners and representatives of the Regional Tax Offices in Islamabad and Rawalpindi. Regional Tax Offices and Chief Taxation Offices from across the country also participated through video link.
The meeting further decided that FBR officers and trader representatives would develop strategies to facilitate registration within individual markets. The involvement of trader representatives is part of the coordination mechanism being used for implementation of the scheme. FBR has previously highlighted cooperation with trade bodies as part of efforts to bring additional taxpayers into the formal tax system and expand registration.
According to the announcement cited by Dawn, the minister said the Easy Tax Scheme was introduced under the guidance of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in response to demands from the trading community. Kayani also stated that implementation of the scheme had begun and that monitoring would continue as registration activity expands across the country.
The minister also announced that the first plaque under the scheme had been installed in Islamabad. He said plaques would subsequently be placed on shops nationwide. The measure forms part of the government’s implementation approach for the scheme and is being accompanied by the registration activity planned with trader representatives.
FBR’s existing registration framework provides several channels through which taxpayers can register, including its Iris portal and facilitation counters. The tax authority also provides registration-related services through its Tax Asaan application. For business taxpayers, FBR’s registration requirements include information such as the business name, business address and principal business activity, depending on the taxpayer category.
The government and trader representatives are scheduled to review the implementation again next week. The follow-up meeting is expected to assess progress made through the market-level registration drives and consider further feedback from traders. The latest arrangement therefore places regional tax offices and trader representatives at the centre of the next phase of registration under the Easy Tax Scheme, with activities planned across markets throughout Pakistan.
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