Chief Commissioner Inaugurates Income Tax Facilitation Desk at ICCI

ISLAMABAD ( WNAM REPORT ): Chief Commissioner Regional Tax Office (RTO) Islamabad Yasmeen Fatima has urged retailers and small shopkeepers to register under the government’s Simplified Income Tax Regime (Aasan Tajir Scheme) and file their returns by September 30, 2026, saying the initiative is designed to simplify taxation, encourage voluntary compliance and bring more businesses into the formal economy. Speaking at an interactive session at the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) here on Monday, she described the scheme as a friendly and positive gesture towards the business community and called for replacing the traditional fear and distance between taxpayers and tax officials with cooperation, facilitation and mutual trust.
Explaining the scheme, Yasmeen Fatima said traders with annual turnover of up to Rs200 million could opt for the simplified regime while retaining the option of filing normal tax returns. Under the simplified system, eligible traders would pay a minimum annual tax of Rs25,000, while those fulfilling the prescribed requirements would remain exempt from audit. She said the scheme offers small businesses greater certainty about their tax obligations and provides an opportunity for traders currently outside the tax net to enter the formal economy through a simpler and more manageable compliance mechanism.
She said the registration process had also been made easier, with the relevant form available in Urdu to facilitate small traders. Traders could register through the Tax Asaan App, while those requiring assistance could approach the tax authorities directly. The Chief Commissioner said the scheme also carried significant benefits for traders including no audit under the scheme and an amnesty provision, urging the business community to view the initiative positively and avail the opportunity.
Yasmeen Fatima said a Green Plate carrying a QR code would be displayed outside registered shops, promoting transparency and providing a visible indication of compliance. She expressed the hope that the initiative would build confidence among small businesses while reducing unnecessary interaction between traders and tax officials. “The government is extending a hand of cooperation to the business community,” she said, emphasizing that the objective was not to create fear but to facilitate traders in becoming part of the documented economy and contributing to national development.
Earlier, Chief Commissioner Yasmeen Fatima, along with ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood, senior RTO officials, ICCI office-bearers and representatives of the business community, inaugurated the Income Tax Facilitation Desk at the ICCI premises. She said the desk would operate as a one-window support facility where traders could obtain guidance on registration, return filing and other tax-related matters.
ICCI President Sardar Tahir Mehmood appreciated the RTO Islamabad for establishing the facilitation desk at the Chamber, describing it as a practical step towards addressing the concerns of small traders. He said the business community was a responsible partner in Pakistan’s economic development and the backbone of economic activity, contributing to employment, investment, trade and revenue generation. He said the desk would help bridge the communication gap between tax authorities and small businesses by providing timely guidance, resolving procedural issues and enabling traders to fulfil their obligations without unnecessary hurdles.
Sardar Tahir Mehmood reaffirmed ICCI’s commitment to serving as a bridge between the government and the private sector and assured the RTO of the Chamber’s full cooperation in creating awareness about the Simplified Income Tax Regime and facilitating traders in meeting their tax requirements. ICCI Senior Vice President Tahir Ayub and Vice President Irfan Chaudhry also shared their views and reiterated the Chamber’s cooperation in disseminating awareness about the scheme. The session was moderated by Mian Mohammad Ramazan, Chairman ICCI Standing Committee on FBR Affairs.
The Chief Commissioner was accompanied by Ms. Maria Sharif, Commissioner Inland Revenue; Ms. Rabia Durrani, Commissioner Inland Revenue; Mohammad Shakil Anwar, Additional Commissioner Inland Revenue; Ahmed Shakil Babar, Secretary FBR; and Ms. Fatima Tariq, Assistant Commissioner Inland Revenue. Those present included ICCI former President Mohammad Ejaz Abbasi, Executive Members Abdul Rehman Siddiqui, Imran Minhas, Zulqurnain Abbasi and Raja Naveed Satti, former Senior Vice President Khalid Chaudhry, and a large number of representatives of the Traders Welfare Association and other market associations.