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Non-Filers and Capital Gains on Listed Securities (Tenth Schedule)

Zaffre Tech · June 16, 2026

A tighter net for non-filers in the stock market

The Federal Budget 2026-27 closes a gap that previously benefited non-filers investing in the stock market. The exclusion has been withdrawn, so the Tenth Schedule's enhanced rates now apply to capital gains on listed securities. In plain terms, non-filers who make gains on shares now face the higher non-ATL treatment that already applies across most other income streams.

What the Tenth Schedule does

The Tenth Schedule of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 prescribes enhanced withholding and tax rates for persons not on the Active Taxpayers List (ATL). It is the mechanism that makes being a non-filer expensive, by design. Capital gains on listed securities had been excluded from this enhanced treatment; the Finance Act 2026 removes that exclusion.

What changes in practice

  • Non-filers pay more. Enhanced Tenth Schedule rates now bite on listed-securities capital gains.
  • Filers are unaffected by the enhancement. Being on the ATL keeps you on the normal rate.
  • The incentive to register strengthens. The cost of staying outside the system rises again.

A simple illustration

Imagine two investors who each make a capital gain on listed shares.

  • The filer is taxed at the applicable normal capital gains rate.
  • The non-filer now faces the enhanced Tenth Schedule rate on that same gain — a higher effective cost than before this change.

The lesson is straightforward: registration pays for itself the moment you start investing.

What investors should do

  • Get on the ATL. Register and file so you are treated as a filer at the point of taxation.
  • Keep trade records. Maintain buy and sell confirmations so gains and any deductions reconcile.
  • Plan before year-end. Your filer status at the relevant time determines your rate.

The broader direction

This change is part of a wider push to make non-filing genuinely unattractive across every income type — from property to dividends to market gains. Compliance, not avoidance, is the cheaper long-term path.

How Zaffre keeps your filer status earned

Staying on the ATL means filing accurately and on time, which depends on clean income and withholding records. Zaffre Axon from Zaffre Tech keeps payroll, invoices and finance aligned with current FBR rates, so the income you report is consistent and your filer status is easy to maintain. The Zaffre HRM module auto-applies salary slabs, allowance taxability and EOBI, while Zaffretech tooling tracks withholding centrally on Zaffreaxon. A well-kept record base makes filing — and staying a filer — far simpler.

References: Finance Act 2026 (Federal Budget 2026-27); Income Tax Ordinance 2001, Tenth Schedule; FBR Active Taxpayers List.

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