Punjab tax authority registers 35,000 new businesses

LAHORE: The Punjab Revenue Authority has registered 35,000 new businesses across the province during the past year, a move officials described as part of a drive to expand the provincial tax net and tighten digital oversight of commercial transactions.

The registration figure was announced after a review meeting on business registration and tax-net expansion targets chaired by PRA Chairman Moazzam Iqbal Sipra. The Associated Press of Pakistan reported the meeting was held in Lahore on Wednesday. Business Recorder carried the same registration count and the chairman's instructions but did not specify the day.

Sipra directed officials to ensure transparency in tax returns and compliance alongside new registrations. He said the scope of digital monitoring of business activity would be expanded, and that businesses with monthly sales of up to Rs500,000 would be linked with the Electronic Invoice Monitoring System, or e-IMS, a step intended to improve transparency in transactions and tax payments.

The chairman told officials that the central monitoring system should be used to monitor tax returns and invoices effectively. He said the purpose of business registration was not simply to increase the number of taxpayers, but to promote tax transparency and digital economic growth.

Sipra also directed commissioners to arrange awareness sessions for businesses on tax laws and compliance. He said that on the instructions of the chief minister, the PRA would ensure an easy, transparent and modern digital tax system for all taxpayers.

The Punjab Revenue Authority is responsible for collecting sales tax on services in the province, and registration is a first step toward bringing a business into the tax system. The latest drive is part of Punjab's effort to raise provincial revenue through formal registration and digital invoicing.