Following the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) advice, telecom companies have deactivated over 9,100 SIM cards owned by individuals who haven’t filed their taxes.
FBR spokesperson Bakhtiar Ahmed Khan stated that telecom companies have received information about 30,000 individuals who haven’t filed their taxes. Additionally, they will receive data on another 5,000 non-filers every day for further action.
The FBR found more than 550,000 people who haven’t paid their taxes. To encourage them to pay, the FBR is charging a 90% tax on mobile top-ups until they pay their taxes.
At first, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and cell phone companies hesitated to deactivate SIM cards despite requests. This means they didn’t want to turn off the SIM cards even though they were asked to.
These actions are part of the government’s efforts to make sure everyone pays their taxes correctly and fairly in Pakistan. They want to make sure that the telecom companies follow the rules and pay the right amount of taxes. This helps the government collect more money and keeps the telecom industry accountable for its finances.
