ISLAMABAD – The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has intensified its nationwide enforcement drive against tax evasion in the private healthcare sector. In a strategic shift toward on-site monitoring, the tax authority has begun deploying Inland Revenue Service (IRS) officers directly at the premises of major commercial hospitals and clinics to ensure real-time documentation of income.
The move comes after startling data revealed that the medical profession remains one of the least compliant sectors in Pakistan’s tax system despite its high earnings.
The Numbers: A “Narrow Tax Base”
Recent official figures compiled for Tax Year 2026 highlight a significant gap between the number of practicing professionals and active taxpayers:
- Total Registered Doctors: 319,572 (nationwide)
- Registered on Income Tax Rolls: 130,243 (~40%)
- Tax Filers for TY2025: Only 56,267 doctors filed returns.
- Compliance Rate: Only 17.6% of the country’s total registered doctors actually filed their taxes this year.
Tax officials noted that even among those who filed, the declared annual incomes were “extremely low,” suggesting widespread underreporting of consultation fees and surgical charges.
Key Enforcement Measures
The FBR’s strategy involves several aggressive steps to bridge the revenue gap:
- On-Site Monitoring: In the first phase, officers have been posted at 50 large private hospitals to observe patient turnover and receipt collections in real-time.
- Point of Sale (POS) Integration: The FBR is mandating the installation of POS systems in private clinics to link their billing directly with the FBR central database.
- Surprise Raids: Recent raids in cities like Lahore and Multan have led to the seizure of financial records from high-profile medical facilities suspected of maintaining “double books.”
- Audit of “Star” Surgeons: High-earning specialists and surgeons with thriving private practices are being prioritized for detailed income audits.
Backlash from the Medical Community
The crackdown has met with stiff resistance from the Pakistan Medical Association (PMA).
- Allegations of Harassment: PMA representatives in Multan and Lahore have labeled the surprise raids as “harassment,” arguing that doctors are essential service providers, not commercial traders.
- Strike Threats: The PMA has warned that if the FBR does not stop “unannounced raids” and “aggressive surveys,” the medical fraternity may halt services in both public and private hospitals across South Punjab and other regions.
The Government’s Stance
The FBR maintains that the drive is not intended to target individuals but to ensure that the healthcare sector contributes its fair share to the national exchequer. nddailyupdates “The days of underreporting lucrative private practices are over,” stated a senior tax official. “We are committed to documenting every sector of the economy to reduce the burden on existing taxpayers.”
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