LAHORE: The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) collected Rs114.76 billion in July and August 2026, a 31.6 percent increase over the Rs87.18 billion recorded in the same period last year.
According to a Finance Department report, the growth came from bringing previously untaxed service sectors into the formal tax system rather than from increasing the burden on existing taxpayers.
During the two months, the provincial government received Rs81.28 billion in tax revenue and Rs33.47 billion in non-tax revenue. Sales tax contributed Rs53.81 billion, motor vehicle tax Rs12.62 billion, and stamp duty Rs9.11 billion. The government has set a tax collection target of Rs1,209 billion for fiscal year 2026-27.
To sustain this growth, the PRA last week directed all hotels and restaurants in the province to install the Electronic Invoice Monitoring System (E-IMS) to ensure timely tax payment. The directive was issued at a meeting with the Hotels and Restaurant Association, where participants discussed tax compliance and the system’s rollout in the hotel industry.
The meeting focused on bringing the entire hotel industry into the tax net and broadening the tax base. Participants reviewed the installation process, technical requirements, and challenges hotels face in implementing the system.
The PRA will also fast-track the registration of new businesses and the installation of E-IMS across 14 designated sectors. Firms that issue fake receipts or tamper with records will face strict action.
The authority has directed all Commissionerates to develop effective strategies for identifying new taxable services and bringing them into the tax net. Officers have been assigned specific E-IMS installation targets, and enforcement teams will be formed to increase registrations and installations.
