The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has taken decisive action by issuing an Income Tax General Order (ITGO) aimed at deactivating the mobile phone SIMs of more than 500,000 individuals who are not listed as active taxpayers but are legally required to file Income Tax Returns for the Tax Year 2023.
This comprehensive list contains 506,671 names of individuals who have not appeared on the active taxpayer list but are mandated to file their Income Tax Returns for Tax Year 2023.
As per the General Order issued by the FBR, the mobile phone SIMs associated with these individuals will remain blocked until either restored by the FBR or by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue responsible for the individual’s jurisdiction.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and all telecom operators are instructed to immediately comply with this ITGO. Furthermore, a compliance report regarding this order must be submitted to the FBR by May 15, 2024.
In a communication on platform X, the FBR has encouraged affected individuals to promptly fulfill their tax obligations by submitting accurate declarations and filing their income tax returns for Tax Year 2023. This will enable them to restore their mobile phone services in accordance with the ITGO.