KARACHI: The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has sharply criticized the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for grouping medical professionals with beauty parlours and aesthetic clinics in its newly launched tax audit drive. The response comes days after the FBR initiated a major enforcement push targeting high-fee doctors and luxury beauty businesses in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
PMA calls comparison “inappropriate, damaging”
In a statement shared with Medical News, the PMA said that placing medical practitioners in the same category as beauty salons undermines the critical nature of healthcare. The association argued that while salons and cosmetics businesses operate for commercial gain, medical professionals serve essential human needs and should not be treated as routine business entities.
The PMA warned that the country is already facing a severe shortage of affordable healthcare, and aggressive tax scrutiny on practitioners risks further limiting public access, particularly for low-income communities.
FBR’s audit initiative: 250 high-fee doctors targeted in first phase
Last week, the FBR began issuing audit notices to high-end beauty salons, aesthetic clinics, and high-fee medical practitioners as part of a wider campaign to broaden the tax net. According to official sources, income records of 250 doctors will be audited in the first phase, 100 each in Karachi and Lahore, and 50 in Islamabad.
Authorities have already compiled detailed information on the location, branding and operations of upscale salons and cosmetic clinics. The FBR will also audit private companies in the paint sector to curb tax evasion.
2,000 private auditors to be deployed
To accelerate audits across sectors, the FBR has brought in 600 private auditors, with plans to hire an additional 200 in the coming days. The overall target is to enlist 2,000 auditors, all bound by strict confidentiality rules to ensure the protection of taxpayers’ information.
Healthcare vs. commercial activity
The PMA emphasized that equating medical services with luxury grooming businesses reflects a “fundamental misunderstanding” of healthcare’s role in society. The association urged the FBR to develop a more nuanced policy framework that recognizes the public service aspect of medical practice.
