RTO Lahore urges shopkeepers to join fixed tax scheme

Amna Faiz Bhatti, Chief Commissioner of Regional Tax Office-1 Lahore, used a briefing on Thursday to invite shopkeepers to sign up for the fixed tax scheme, according to Business Recorder. Shopkeepers have until September 30, 2026 to register and submit their returns, and the official framed the drive as an amnesty meant to widen the tax base. The briefing took place at the Inland Revenue Office in Old Anarkali.

Under the scheme, which falls under Section 99B of SRO-1, small traders with annual turnover below Rs200 million can opt in. Tier-1 retailers, goldsmiths and people with agricultural income are excluded. Shopkeepers paying Rs25,000 a year are exempt from audit. Even those who opt for normal returns face a minimum annual payment of Rs25,000 under the scheme.

Registration has been simplified and is now offered in Urdu, and it can also be completed through the Tax Asaan app. A QR code will be displayed outside shops to limit direct contact between traders and tax officials, while officials warned that misuse of the facility would trigger a mandatory audit. Bhatti said roughly 50,000 to 60,000 shopkeepers currently pay taxes, against nearly 1.3 million registered taxpayers with RTO-1, and return filing under the scheme started on Thursday.