The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Lifestyle Monitoring Cell has identified several individuals living far beyond their declared means, prompting investigations into suspected tax evasion. Officials said details of these individuals have been forwarded to FBR headquarters and relevant Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) for formal investigation and possible action under income tax laws, The News reported.
According to the report, the exercise comes as the FBR faces mounting pressure to meet its annual revenue target of Rs14.13 trillion after a collection shortfall of Rs274 billion in the first four months of the fiscal year.
The inquiry has so far identified a Lahore-based fintech entrepreneur who owns 30 high-end vehicles worth Rs2.74 billion, including two Lamborghini Aventadors and a Rolls-Royce Phantom. However, none of these assets were declared on his income tax returns. Official scrutiny shows he filed an income of only Rs523,493 in 2019, later revising it to Rs3.4 million, and gradually increased declared income to Rs181 million by 2025 — still far below his visible wealth.
The FBR found that his revised filings also included a sharp increase in assets such as gold, cash, and personal items. Gold holdings jumped from 10 tola to 50 tola, business capital rose from Rs750,000 to Rs11 million, and luxury watch collections worth Rs2.34 million were newly introduced. Officials said the total value of his cars alone was nearly 940 times higher than his declared net assets for 2019.
The Cell also flagged two social media influencers — one from Lahore and another from Islamabad — for declaring limited income despite frequent international travel and luxury purchases. One influencer documented trips to 25 countries between 2021 and 2025 while declaring income between Rs0.4 million and Rs3.8 million annually.
Another influencer reportedly travelled to 13 destinations, including the UK, Switzerland, and Singapore, while owning luxury handbags, jewelry, designer apparel, and high-end vehicles, yet declared annual earnings of Rs3.5–5.5 million.
Officials noted that the investigation was launched after detecting a mismatch between visible spending patterns and income declared under tax law. “These taxpayers have showcased lifestyles inconsistent with their reported earnings — including assets such as imported cars, branded goods, and foreign tours,” an official said.
The FBR said it is now cross-checking property records, vehicle registration data, and travel logs to quantify undeclared wealth. Cases showing clear evidence of concealment will be referred for penal action, which may include additional assessments, penalties, and prosecution under income tax laws.
Officials added that the Lifestyle Monitoring Cell is expanding its data pool through social media analytics, property registries, and third-party financial sources to track non-filers and under-reporters, in line with FBR’s broader drive to document high-net-worth individuals and increase direct tax compliance.
