FBR orders online monitoring of over 14 business sectors

LAHORE: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced a nationwide plan to monitor business activities online by mandating Point of Sale (POS) systems for more than 14 types of businesses.

POS Requirement for Various Sectors

According to the FBR notification: Hotels, restaurants, guest houses, marriage halls, marquees, and race clubs must install POS systems, except where air conditioning is unavailable.

Retail shops, hospitals, clubs, beauty parlors, and other service providers must also be linked to the FBR system.

Vehicles operating in cities, courier and cargo services, and medical professionals such as dentists, physiotherapists, plastic and hair surgeons, veterinary doctors, medical labs, X-ray, CT, and MRI centers are required to implement POS.

Beauty parlors, massage centers, pedicure centers, and private hospitals must also comply, with hospitals charging a fee of 500 PKR granted an exemption.

Expansion to Health Clubs, Gyms, and Educational Institutions

Health clubs, gyms, swimming pools, multipurpose clubs, civil and non-civil polo clubs, chartered accountants, and cost management accountants are now included in the POS mandate.

Retailers, manufacturers, importers, foreign exchange dealers, currency exchange companies, private educational institutions, and vocational training centers are also required to integrate online systems.

Institutions charging a monthly fee of 1,000 PKR are exempt from the POS requirement.

Cities Covered and Implementation

The FBR notification specifically mentions Lahore, Karachi, and Islamabad, directing all gyms, clubs, and other establishments in these cities to comply. Retailers, manufacturers, and importers nationwide must integrate their systems with FBR online monitoring to enhance transparency and tax compliance.

This move is part of the FBR’s broader strategy to digitize and monitor business operations across Pakistan.