The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has started a new audit drive, focusing on beauty parlors, aesthetic clinics, and businesses dealing in expensive cosmetics. This decision comes as part of a wider plan to check tax evasion and bring more professional services into the tax net. According to sources, the IMF has increased pressure on the FBR to closely examine luxury services and make sure proper taxes are being paid.
In the first stage of this plan, beauty parlors and aesthetic clinics located in major cities are being selected for audits. These include well known businesses in Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Along with them, doctors who charge high consultation or procedure fees are also being issued audit notices. Around 250 doctors from large cities have already been added to the list for detailed checking.
The FBR has also turned its attention to companies in the paint sector, where cases of tax evasion have been reported. To complete the extensive audit requirements set by the IMF, the FBR has hired six hundred private auditors. In the coming months, the total number of auditors is expected to reach two thousand.
This new audit campaign aims to create more transparency, ensure fair taxation, and reduce the loss of revenue. By bringing luxury service providers into the tax system, the FBR hopes to improve national income and promote accountability. For many businesses, this will be the first time they face such strict review, and the move is likely to have a strong impact on the professional services sector.
As the process continues, more businesses may be included, but for now, the focus remains on high-end beauty services, aesthetic treatments, and expensive medical practices across Pakistan.