PRA issues notices to 250 Punjab businesses not linked to its e-invoicing system, fines 30

The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) issued notices to 250 businesses that were not connected to its Electronic Invoice Monitoring System (EIMS) and fined 30 business operators in the past 24 hours, a PRA spokesperson said on Wednesday, ProPakistani reported. More than 50 new businesses were registered with the authority in the same drive.

Who was caught

The action covered restaurants, hotels and other businesses in Lahore, Gujranwala, Sargodha and Rawalpindi. The PRA said it found businesses issuing bills outside EIMS, irregular records of digital transactions and payments, and other breaches of provincial tax law, which it says cost the exchequer revenue. The authority did not publish the names of the businesses or the size of the fines. Earlier this month it sent notices to more than 70 restaurants, ProPakistani reported on 12 October.

What EIMS does

EIMS links a business's billing system directly to the PRA, so every receipt carries a PRA invoice number and the sales tax you pay on services reaches the government. A bill without that number means the tax may never be paid even though you were charged it.

What you can do

• Check the receipt. Scan or enter the invoice number in the PRA Facilitation App to see whether it is registered with the PRA.
• Report it. The PRA asks customers to report businesses that issue unverified receipts or refuse digital payment, including through its social media accounts.
• Know the charge. Sales tax on services in Punjab is separate from the federal sales tax on goods; our sales tax calculator shows how much of a bill is tax.

The provincial government says it is expanding digital monitoring to widen the tax net. Restaurant owners who are not yet on EIMS can expect more inspections; our business desk will follow the drive.