Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said that telecom operators had unblocked more than 7,000 SIMs after people paid their taxes.
The sources said 7,167 SIMs had been unblocked, calling it a positive development. This comes days after the FBR announced that over 11,000 SIMs had been blocked for non-payment of taxes.
“So far, the data of 65,000 non-filers has been shared with telecommunication companies,” the sources noted.
The decision aims to send a clear message to non-filers to submit their tax returns. This action comes as the country faces an economic crunch and a high cost of living.
The FBR received 5.9 million income tax returns in 2022, but this dropped to 4.2 million in 2023 by March 2024, according to the Active Taxpayer List (ATL). Around 1.8 million people did not file their returns.
The FBR can enforce return filing under Section 114 (B) of Income Tax Law 2023. This section allows the board to issue income tax general orders for those who do not appear on active taxpayers’ lists but are required to file returns.
As the FBR seeks ways to increase tax collection, the government is considering setting the tax revenue target at over Rs12.5 trillion, with the next budget soon to be presented.
 reports that telecom operators have unblocked over 7,000 SIMs after users paid their taxes. This action aims to encourage non-filers to submit their tax returns amidst the country's economic challenges.){kind=link}