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Number of verified FBR PoS invoices in big retail outlets triples to 153,000

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ISLAMABAD: The number of invoices verified by customers who shopped at big retail outlets integrated with the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) point-of-sale system more than tripled to 153,000 in January from 45,000 a month ago.

Similarly, the number of invoices issued by tier-1 retailers integrated with the FBR’s POS system rose 12pc to around 37 million invoices in January from 33m in December, the FBR said in a press release on Friday.


However, 29,000 invoices issued by these retailers couldn’t be verified and were presumably fake, it said.

The number of customers who verified their invoices jumped from 10,000 to 27,000 within a month.

Among various initiatives launched by the FBR to maximise tax compliance through digitising business transactions, automating its operations and facilitating taxpayers, the POS system is a key intervention aimed at monitoring sales made by tier-1 retailers across the country.

Adding value to this critically important sector and plug revenue leakages, the FBR has launched an aggressive awareness campaign on the mainstream national media to educate and engage consumers to ensure that tax collected from them at the point of sale is deposited into the state exchequer and not pocketed by the retailers themselves.

Of 37m invoices issued by tier-1 retailers in January, 29,000 were ‘fake’
Furthermore, the campaign also encompasses a prize scheme worth Rs53 million to be disbursed among 1,007 winners selected through a computerised ballot to be held on the 15th of every month at FBR’s headquarters in Islamabad.

The first ballot has already been conducted in front of the TV channels and the winners were contacted live during the ceremony. Around 800 winners have also been transferred prize money into their accounts after the due diligence and required verification.

“This is truly an unprecedented example of involving citizens in tax compliance and raising their awareness about their national responsibility to not pay their due tax but also safeguard the same from being stolen on its way to the national exchequer,” the FBR said.

The second computerised ballot will be held on Feb 15 (Tuesday).

FBR Chairman Ashfaq Ahmed has urged citizens to launch a national movement to promote a culture of tax compliance. He has suggested a three-pronged strategy to ensure that sales tax collected from customers at the point of sale was actually being deposited in the state exchequer.

He has proposed that people should shop only from those tier-1 retail outlets that were integrated with the FBR POS system, demand a computerised invoice and verify it through the FBR tax app.

“It is further encouraging to witness that a huge number of customers are verifying their shopping receipts through FBR’s Tax Asaan Mobile App and SMS.

People are also reaching out to the field formations as well as FBR [headquarters] to seek necessary guidance about this innovative prize scheme,” the press release said.

“This initiative of engagement of customers is all set to pick momentum and thus accelerate the desired national drive to promote tax compliance and substantially increase revenues.

It also aims to incentivise people to play their role as responsible citizens and compliant taxpayers,” it said.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2022
 
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Furthermore, the campaign also encompasses a prize scheme worth Rs53 million to be disbursed among 1,007 winners selected through a computerised ballot to be held on the 15th of every month at FBR’s headquarters in Islamabad.

I have verified around 30 invoices so far. Lets see what happens.
 
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How much increase in tax collection is expected from this i hear they did the same thing in malaysia and turkey did this help them increase their tax base signifantly ?

At the moment too much fraud is going on even in retail outlets where FBR POS is installed. Like where I shop, they have two counters and only 1 have POS installed. It will take few years but sale tax should increase significantly. Thousands of useless FBR workers only job should be to verify implementation of FBR POS.
 
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POS Machine adoption will also create a new Industry in Software Engineering and IT machine setup , so many new employment roles will open as this Tech adoption matures

Should be national goal to make FRB Certified POS solutions , mandatory for all Retail Businesses

  • Better Tracking of Tax deductions
  • Better Paying of Taxes to Government Institutes
  • Better refund possibilities back to Merchant
  • Jobs creation , in sector which maintains, installs machine
  • Helps digitize transactions
 
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ISLAMABAD: The number of invoices verified by customers who shopped at big retail outlets integrated with the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) point-of-sale system more than tripled to 153,000 in January from 45,000 a month ago.

Similarly, the number of invoices issued by tier-1 retailers integrated with the FBR’s POS system rose 12pc to around 37 million invoices in January from 33m in December, the FBR said in a press release on Friday.


However, 29,000 invoices issued by these retailers couldn’t be verified and were presumably fake, it said.

The number of customers who verified their invoices jumped from 10,000 to 27,000 within a month.

Among various initiatives launched by the FBR to maximise tax compliance through digitising business transactions, automating its operations and facilitating taxpayers, the POS system is a key intervention aimed at monitoring sales made by tier-1 retailers across the country.

Adding value to this critically important sector and plug revenue leakages, the FBR has launched an aggressive awareness campaign on the mainstream national media to educate and engage consumers to ensure that tax collected from them at the point of sale is deposited into the state exchequer and not pocketed by the retailers themselves.


Furthermore, the campaign also encompasses a prize scheme worth Rs53 million to be disbursed among 1,007 winners selected through a computerised ballot to be held on the 15th of every month at FBR’s headquarters in Islamabad.

The first ballot has already been conducted in front of the TV channels and the winners were contacted live during the ceremony. Around 800 winners have also been transferred prize money into their accounts after the due diligence and required verification.

“This is truly an unprecedented example of involving citizens in tax compliance and raising their awareness about their national responsibility to not pay their due tax but also safeguard the same from being stolen on its way to the national exchequer,” the FBR said.

The second computerised ballot will be held on Feb 15 (Tuesday).

FBR Chairman Ashfaq Ahmed has urged citizens to launch a national movement to promote a culture of tax compliance. He has suggested a three-pronged strategy to ensure that sales tax collected from customers at the point of sale was actually being deposited in the state exchequer.

He has proposed that people should shop only from those tier-1 retail outlets that were integrated with the FBR POS system, demand a computerised invoice and verify it through the FBR tax app.

“It is further encouraging to witness that a huge number of customers are verifying their shopping receipts through FBR’s Tax Asaan Mobile App and SMS.

People are also reaching out to the field formations as well as FBR [headquarters] to seek necessary guidance about this innovative prize scheme,” the press release said.

“This initiative of engagement of customers is all set to pick momentum and thus accelerate the desired national drive to promote tax compliance and substantially increase revenues.

It also aims to incentivise people to play their role as responsible citizens and compliant taxpayers,” it said.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2022
Few suggestions:

1. The number of folks who are given cash prizes needs to be increased at least 3 times what it is currently. The size of the prize scheme should also be increased to 5 billion PKR initially and depending upon the tax collection results remain open to be expanded to 10 billion PKR to encourage further public participation.

2. Public enjoys these Neelam ghar model shows that entertainment channels run. Those programs should conduct special episodes while doing live telecasts each month involving the highest prize winners showing the entire process of balloting, winning, the reaction of winners, etc. The platform should also be used to instruct the public on the EXACT method of verifying the sale receipts, what is a tier 1 retailer, where a list of these retailers could be found, and methods of downloading the FBR verification app. Once these steps are taken, it would surely become a national phenomenon with increasing public participation in the receipt validation process much like lottery cards are in the American pop culture.

Better revenue collection would also incentivize FBR field formations to aggressively push for integrating more retail PoS with the FBR's software. Needless to say that in doing all this you would be sowing seeds of civic consciousness in the public, something our education system is found wanting in.
 
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Enforce laws to have NIC to purchase anything above 20,000.
 
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Few suggestions:

1. The number of folks who are given cash prizes needs to be increased at least 3 times what it is currently. The size of the prize scheme should also be increased to 5 billion PKR initially and depending upon the tax collection results remain open to be expanded to 10 billion PKR to encourage further public participation.

2. Public enjoys these Neelam ghar model shows that entertainment channels run. Those programs should conduct special episodes while doing live telecasts each month involving the highest prize winners showing the entire process of balloting, winning, the reaction of winners, etc. The platform should also be used to instruct the public on the EXACT method of verifying the sale receipts, what is a tier 1 retailer, where a list of these retailers could be found, and methods of downloading the FBR verification app. Once these steps are taken, it would surely become a national phenomenon with increasing public participation in the receipt validation process much like lottery cards are in the American pop culture.

Better revenue collection would also incentivize FBR field formations to aggressively push for integrating more retail PoS with the FBR's software. Needless to say that in doing all this you would be sowing seeds of civic consciousness in the public, something our education system is found wanting in.

In FBR app one can find all of retailers where POS is installed.

Lahore

1644799792369.png


Karachi

1644799816518.png


Islamabad

1644799831411.png


Peshawar

1644799844288.png
 
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I have verified around 30 invoices so far. Lets see what happens.

The key purpose at this stage is to encourage adaption of POS, I think a better idea at this stage would be to return a fixed % of tax directly to customer's account upon invoice verification. This % can be very small like 0.1% but it would encourage a lot more people to shop at FBR integrated retailers, demand invoices and then report them to FBR.
 
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