ISLAMABAD – Pakistani authorities are taking news steps to garner taxes and now Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) mandated fixed monthly tax payments for small shopkeepers and retailers in 42 cities, with amounts ranging from Rs. 100 to over Rs. 20,000.

The country's apex tax collection authority outlined market and area-specific indicative incomes, taxes, and monthly advance taxes for small traders based on their shop locations.

This new scheme applies to these cities:

Abbottabad, Attock, Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Chakwal, Dera Ismail Khan, DG Khan, Faisalabad, Ghotki, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Gwadar, Hafizabad, Haripur, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Jhang, Jhelum, Karachi, Kasur, Khushab, Lahore, Larkana, Lasbela, Lodhran, Mandi Bahauddin, Mansehra, Mardan, Mirpurkhas, Multan, Nankana, Narowal, Peshawar, Quetta, Rahim Yar Khan, Rawalpindi, Sahiwal, Sarghoda, Sheikhupura, Sialkot, Sukkur, and Toba Tek Singh.

As per the FBR directives, any individual owning a shop of 50 square feet or less in a commercial area, a makeshift shop, 'khoka', kiosk, or small shop measuring no more than 5x3 square feet, will be required to pay a fixed advance tax of Rs. 1,200 annually.

The monthly tax installments apply to various types of shopkeepers, including wholesalers, dealers, distributors, retailers, manufacturer-cum-retailers, importer-cum-retailers, or those combining retail and wholesale with other business activities or supply chain roles.