The Punjab Revenue Authority has introduced stricter guidelines for restaurants, hotels, and coffee shops, mandating digital receipts, displaying clear instructions, and increasing the digital payment tax to promote transparency and traceability.
The Punjab Revenue Authority has tightened its rules for restaurants, hotels and coffee shops across the province, telling businesses to issue digital receipts and to stop handing out kitchen orders, unpaid bills, pre-bills or temporary bills to customers. According to the guidelines, outlets must also display the instructions clearly on their premises so diners know what to expect when paying tax on meals and other services.
Officials say customers should ask for a digital receipt only after payment is made, and then check that it shows the business name, address and Punjab Taxpayer Registration Number, or PNTN. The receipt should also include the order details, the tax rate, the amount before tax, the total bill, the PRA invoice number and a QR code that can be used to verify the transaction.
The authority is urging people to report any business that refuses digital or card payments, with complaints accepted through its social media channels, the PRA Sahulat app and WhatsApp at 0343-0000772. The move follows earlier PRA action this year, when the authority ordered restaurants, hotels and beauty parlours to adopt Raast- or QR code-based digital payment systems and display the facility prominently at their premises.
The tighter enforcement also comes as Punjab’s tax regime for restaurant payments has shifted this summer. Industry and legal updates on the province’s sales tax rules indicate that digital restaurant payments are now taxed at 8%, up from 5%, while cash and other non-digital payments remain subject to a 16% rate. The policy is designed to encourage electronic payments, improve traceability and make tax collection more transparent.
Disclaimer: This article is intended to inform and educate, not to recommend or endorse any financial product, investment or strategy. Please consider your own financial circumstances and seek professional advice where appropriate before making financial decisions.
