The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has begun a nationwide operation to bring jewellers under the tax net, targeting those who remain unregistered or are paying well below their taxable capacity.
According to FBR officials, Pakistan has around 57,000 jewellers, yet only 20,000 are registered, and just 10,000 of them have filed tax returns. Notices have already been issued to jewellers in major cities including Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, and Multan.
In Islamabad alone, 50 jewellers have been flagged for discrepancies between their tax returns and the size of their shops, business volumes, or standard of living. Thousands more across the country remain outside the tax system, with FBR moving to seek explanations from them.
Officials emphasized that no trader or industrialist would be targeted without reason, but confirmed tax evaders would face strict action. “If every citizen pays their due taxes honestly, the country’s economy can run more efficiently,” an FBR representative said.
The operation is part of FBR’s ongoing drive to broaden the tax base, curb evasion, and improve fiscal compliance across all sectors of the economy. The authority reiterated its aim of ensuring complete elimination of tax evasion by integrating every business category into the national tax net.
