In a major step toward digital tax enforcement, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been granted full, real-time access to national databases — significantly enhancing its ability to monitor compliance and detect tax evasion across Pakistan.
Under Section 56AB of the Sales Tax Act, 1990, the FBR now has legal authority to obtain information directly from key national institutions, including the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), and provincial land and excise departments.
The initiative allows the FBR to retrieve critical data such as National Identity Card records, overseas registrations, travel histories, land ownership, vehicle registration, and utility consumption from electricity and gas providers. This will enable tax officials to identify mismatches between declared income and actual lifestyles or assets.
Officials describe the measure as a “new era of digital tax governance,” emphasizing that real-time data integration will help improve transparency and ensure better taxpayer compliance.
All information shared with the FBR will remain confidential and used exclusively for tax purposes. Partner agencies are required to integrate their systems with the FBR’s digital network to enable seamless data exchange.
The government expects this reform to strengthen fiscal discipline, reduce evasion, and promote fair taxation through enhanced inter-agency collaboration.
