FBR Targets Doctors as 73,000 High Earners Fail to File Tax Returns

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has launched a large-scale enforcement drive against medical practitioners and doctors over tax evasion, concealment of income, non-filing of income tax returns, and under-reporting of taxes. According to FBR data, 73,000 of the country’s highest-earning doctors are not filing any income tax returns. Officials described the findings as alarming and said the newly compiled data points to a serious tax compliance crisis within Pakistan’s medical sector. The data shows that out of 130,243 registered doctors across Pakistan, only 56,287 filed income tax returns this year. This means more than 73,000 registered medical practitioners did not file any return at all, despite being active in one of the country’s highest-earning professions. The disclosures also highlight clear inconsistencies between visibly busy private medical practices and the incomes reported to the FBR. According to the data, 31,870 doctors declared zero income from private practice in 2025, while 307 practitioners reported losses despite maintaining full patient loads in major cities. Only 24,137 doctors acknowledged earning any business income. Even among those who did file returns, declared tax payments remain disproportionately low compared to estimated earnings. The data shows that 17,442 doctors with annual receipts above Rs. 1 million paid an average of Rs. 1,894 per day in taxes. Another 10,922 doctors earning between Rs. 1 million and Rs. 5 million annually paid just Rs. 1,094 per day. Meanwhile, 3,312 doctors in the Rs. 5–10 million income bracket paid an average of Rs. 1,594 per day in taxes. The data further reveals that many doctors charging between Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 10,000 per patient are declaring tax payments lower than the value of a single daily consultation. The highest-earning 3,327 doctors, with receipts exceeding Rs. 10 million, paid an average of only Rs. 5,500 per day in taxes. In comparison, 38,761 practitioners reporting receipts below Rs. 1 million declared tax liabilities of just Rs. 791 per day. At the same time, 31,524 doctors declared zero receipts but collectively claimed Rs. 1.3 billion in tax refunds. These figures stand in sharp contrast to the visible reality of crowded private clinics and high consultation fees, particularly in urban areas. For comparison, a Grade 17–18 salaried government officer pays more in monthly taxes than many doctors contribute over an entire quarter, despite having significantly less flexibility in income reporting. The situation raises a fundamental question about whether the country can continue to rely on taxes paid by individuals whose incomes cannot be concealed, while high-earning sectors underreport or fail to report their earnings. Officials described it as unfortunate that some of the highest-earning professions are reporting minimal income. According to the FBR, tax compliance among high-earning professions is no longer optional.