ISLAMABAD: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has advised the Pakistani government to address its revenue shortfall by ensuring the complete collection of the Super Tax, according to reliable sources.
Meanwhile, the Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) dismissed petitions challenging the Super Tax on Tuesday, ruling on the maintainability of the cases. The court upheld Section 4B of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, while ruling that certain high court judgments related to Section 4C are partially invalid.
This decision has cleared the way for the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to step up its efforts in recovering outstanding dues. Official reports indicate that the FBR fell short of its tax collection target by Rs335 billion during the first half of the current fiscal year (July–December).
Sources revealed that after the court’s ruling, the IMF and FBR held virtual discussions in which the IMF expressed approval of the verdict and emphasized the importance of meeting tax collection goals. The IMF specifically called for all outstanding Super Tax recoveries to be finalized within this month.
Projections suggest that Super Tax collections could reach around Rs380 billion by June 2026. Of this total, approximately Rs300 billion is expected to be recovered shortly, with the remaining Rs80 billion targeted by mid-2026. Officials indicated that once these recoveries are completed, the revenue deficit faced by the FBR is likely to be eliminated by December.
Furthermore, it was disclosed that the FBR’s legal team has finalized all preparations to pursue the Super Tax case in the Supreme Court, amid mounting pressure from the IMF to resolve pending litigation.
Under the current Finance Bill, Super Tax is imposed on large companies with rates varying from 1 percent to 10 percent, depending on their profitability levels. The tax applies to firms earning profits above designated thresholds. Authorities have reiterated that the shortfall in revenue will be addressed primarily through increased tax collection, rather than through the introduction of new, temporary taxes or mini budgets.
