As we earlier reported, the FBR’s Lifestyle Monitoring Cell has identified over 20 suspected cases of tax evasion involving individuals who flaunt luxury cars, lavish vacations, and high-end lifestyles on social media while declaring minimal income and assets in their tax returns.
But What is the FBR Lifestyle Monitoring Cell?
In September, Reuters reported that the FBR had established a dedicated Lifestyle Monitoring Cell, staffed by around 40 investigators. The unit monitors platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to track individuals showcasing high-end living.
The unit’s mandate is to identify individuals who display wealth online but are either unregistered for tax or declare income that doesn’t match their spending or asset profile. Investigators build digital case files, including screenshots, timestamps, and other evidence, to support potential tax or money-laundering investigations.
This cell was established to improve tax collection. Pakistan is undoubtedly one of the lowest-tax-paying countries, where only 2% of the population pays income taxes, Reuters said.
New Developments: Cases Escalated to RTOs
Following our coverage, there’s an update.
Yesterday, The News reported that the FBR has concluded that some taxpayers are maintaining a lavish lifestyle while declaring negligible income. The Lifestyle Monitoring Cell has dispatched dossiers on additional potential tax dodgers to FBR headquarters and the respective Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) to initiate formal proceedings.
Lahore’s FinTech CEO Case
One prominent case involves a Lahore-based FinTech entrepreneur, the CEO and founder of a digital solutions company, who has come under scrutiny for allegedly concealing substantial wealth.
According to reports cited by The News, he owns 30 luxury cars worth roughly Rs. 2.74 billion, including a yellow Lamborghini Aventador (Rs. 300 million), a silver Rolls Royce Phantom (Rs. 250 million), and a black Lamborghini Aventador (Rs. 300 million), among others.
Despite the conspicuous display of these vehicles on social media, investigators found that none of the cars were declared in his tax filings. The taxpayer, registered with the FBR in 2019, showed major discrepancies between declared income and visible assets.
Sharp Increases in Declared Income and Assets
Registered with the FBR since 2019, the entrepreneur’s tax filings show dramatic revisions over time, with both income and declared assets increasing significantly between 2019 and 2025:
- Declared income: Rs. 523,493 (2019) → Rs. 181.14 million (2025)
- Business capital: Rs. 750,000 → Rs. 11 million
- Gold holdings: 10 → 50 tolas
- Livestock assets: suddenly added, Rs. 10.06 million in 2025, despite no agricultural background
- Cash in hand: Rs. 175,000 → Rs. 7.34 million
- Luxury watches: later declared at Rs. 2.34 million
Even with these upward revisions, FBR analysis suggests the visible lifestyle was funded through undeclared income. Notably, the value of his cars alone is 937 times greater than his 2019 declared net assets.
Comments are closed.