Telecommunication companies have blocked more than 9,100 SIM cards of individuals who have not filed their taxes, based on a recommendation from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
FBR spokesperson Bakhtiar Ahmed Khan told that the FBR provided data of 30,000 non-tax filers to cellular companies, indicating that more SIM cards will be blocked soon.
Khan also mentioned that the FBR will give data of 5,000 non-tax filers to telecom companies daily, to ensure strict action against them. So far, the FBR has identified over 550,000 non-tax filers.
Previously, the FBR decided to impose an additional 87.5 percent withholding tax on non-tax filers’ mobile top-ups. This means non-filers will have to pay a 90 percent withholding tax on mobile top-ups until they submit their income tax returns. For example, if a non-filer tops up their phone with Rs 100, they will only receive Rs 10 as Rs 90 will be deducted as tax.
Even if non-filers buy new SIM cards after their old ones are blocked, they will still be charged a 90 percent tax on top-ups and bundles. The FBR has shared lists of over 500,000 non-filers with the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and cellular companies, asking them to block SIM cards. However, the PTA and cellular companies have rejected the FBR’s request to block these SIM cards.
