Over 100,000 SIMs Blocked for Non-Filing of Income Tax Returns in Pakistan

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has taken a significant step to enforce tax compliance by blocking over 105,000 mobile SIM cards of individuals who failed to file their income tax returns.

FBR Ramps Up Action Against Non-Filers:

• SIM Blockage for Non-Compliance: The FBR has been systematically blocking SIMs linked to non-filers identified for the tax year 2023.
• Phased Approach: The FBR is sending data of 5,000 non-filers daily to telecom operators for SIM deactivation.

Early Signs of Compliance:

• 18,902 SIMs Restored: Encouragingly, over 18,902 individuals have already had their SIMs reactivated by filing their income tax returns after the FBR's initiative.

Background and Collaboration:

• Joint Working Group Established: To streamline the SIM blocking process, the FBR formed a Joint Working Group (JWG) with telecom operators in April 2024.
• Delayed Operator Action: Leading telecom companies only began blocking non-filer SIMs in late May 2024.

Wider Scope of the Initiative:

• Total Non-Filers Identified: The FBR has identified a total of 506,671 individuals who failed to file their 2023 income tax returns. This suggests that the SIM blocking program may impact a much larger number of users in the coming days.

This article was published at Over 100,000 SIMs Blocked as FBR Cracks Down on Non-Tax Filers