The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) has stopped restaurants, hotels, coffee shops and marriage halls across Punjab from issuing handwritten receipts.
The purpose of the move is to reduce tax evasion and make sales records more clear. The new rules have been issued on the directions of PRA Chairman Muazam Iqbal Sapra.
According to the notifications, all hotels, restaurants, coffee shops and marriage halls must issue receipts through the Electronic Invoice Monitoring System (EIMS). Commissioners in all districts have been directed to enforce the new rules.
How much will violators be fined?
Businesses that do not issue EIMS receipts can face fines between Rs400,000 and Rs1 million.
Businesses that repeatedly break the rules may also be sealed for up to one month. The PRA has warned that strict legal action will be taken against those who interfere with officials or change sales records.
Businesses can also face action if they fail to provide the required records.
New receipt requirements
The PRA has also stopped businesses from giving customers kitchen order slips, unpaid bills or similar documents instead of proper tax receipts.
Businesses must issue receipts that include the name and address of the business, the receipt number and the PRA QR code.
According to PRA officials, the new rules will help improve sales monitoring and make tax collection more transparent. The system will also help keep digital sales records and reduce tax evasion.
PRA enforcement officers will take action against businesses that fail to follow the new requirements.
Punjab restaurants: 50% tax relief announced
The Punjab government has announced a 50 per cent tax relief for businesses and customers who use digital payment methods.
Under the new policy of the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), hotels and restaurants will pay 8 per cent tax on digital payments. The tax on cash payments will remain 16 per cent.
The policy will also allow taxes to be deducted automatically through online and card payments. Officials said this will make tax collection easier and more transparent.
