Free FBR Digital Invoicing Resources for Pakistani Businesses

Step-by-step: verifying an FBR invoice with Tax Asaan

1. 1

   Download the FBR Tax Asaan app

   Search "Tax Asaan" on Google Play or the Apple App Store. The publisher should show as Federal Board of Revenue. Download and open the app.

2. 2

   Open the QR Code Scanner

   On the Tax Asaan home screen, tap the "Scan QR Code" or "Verify Invoice" tile. The app will request camera permission. Grant it.

3. 3

   Point your phone at the FBR QR code on the invoice

   Hold the phone steady so the QR code on the printed or PDF invoice fills the scanner frame. Tax Asaan will detect and decode the code automatically.

4. 4

   Read the verification result

   The app shows the seller name, NTN, invoice number, invoice date, total amount and FBR validation status. If FBR has the invoice on record, you will see a green "Verified" indicator. If not, the app will say the invoice was not found in FBR records.

5. 5

   Save or share the verification

   You can take a screenshot of the verification screen for your own records, or share it from the app. Procurement teams and auditors often save these to attach to their audit files.

What an FBR QR code actually encodes

The QR code on a Pakistani FBR-compliant invoice encodes a URL that points back at FBR's verification endpoint with the FBR Invoice Number and a one-time verification code embedded. When the Tax Asaan app decodes the QR, it hits that URL and pulls the invoice record from FBR's database. This is why a screenshot or photocopy of the QR works just as well as the original invoice — the QR is just pointing at the FBR record, not carrying the record itself.

If you generate FBR invoices through Tax It at taxit.pk, the QR code on every PDF is rendered automatically at the correct size and position on the invoice. There is no manual setup needed. The 22-digit FBR Invoice Number, the PRAL verification code and the FBR logo all appear on the printed copy out of the box.

FBR

Federal Board of Revenue, Pakistan tax authority.

PRAL

Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited, the technical operator of FBR systems.

IRIS

FBR online portal (iris.fbr.gov.pk) for tax registration, returns and tokens.

DI

Digital Invoicing, FBR system for real-time B2B invoice submission.

NTN

National Tax Number, the 7-digit identifier for a Pakistani business taxpayer.

CNIC

Computerised National Identity Card, the 13-digit identifier for an individual.

STRN

Sales Tax Registration Number, granted on registration under the Sales Tax Act 1990.

FTN

Free Tax Number, used by federal government departments and similar entities.

HS Code

Harmonised System code, the international 8-digit product classification format used by Pakistan Customs.

UOM

Unit of Measure, e.g. KG, NOS, MTR. Required on every invoice line item.

SRO

Statutory Regulatory Order, an FBR notification carrying the force of law.

SRO 69(I)/2025

The 2025 SRO that introduced mandatory FBR Digital Invoicing for B2B sales.

SRO 709(I)/2025

Follow-up SRO that expanded scope and tightened the penalty framework.

QR Code

Quick Response code printed on every FBR-validated invoice. Buyers scan it with the Tax Asaan app to verify.

Sandbox

FBR test environment for integrators to validate before going live.

Production Token

FBR-issued Bearer token, valid 5 years, for live invoice submission.

IP Whitelisting

PRAL approval allowing a specific server IP to call FBR APIs.

Bearer Token

Authentication header value passed on every FBR API call.

Sale Invoice

Standard outgoing sales invoice. Most common invoice type.

Credit Note

Negative invoice issued to reduce the amount of an original invoice (returns, corrections).

Debit Note

Positive invoice issued to add charges to an original invoice.

Output Tax

Sales tax charged on outgoing sales invoices.

Input Tax

Sales tax paid on incoming purchase invoices, eligible for offset.

Net Tax Payable

Output tax minus input tax, the amount owed to FBR for the period.

Further Tax

Additional 4% charged when the buyer is not sales-tax registered.

FED

Federal Excise Duty, applicable to specific product categories.

WHT

Withholding Tax, deducted at source on contractual payments.

Zero-Rated Supply

Goods or services taxed at 0% (typically exports).

Exempt Supply

Goods or services outside the sales tax regime entirely.

Tier-1 Retailer

Larger retailer category with separate FBR POS integration rules.

STATL

Sales Tax Active Taxpayer List, the FBR registry of currently active sales tax filers.

B2B

Business-to-business, invoices from one registered company to another.

Section 33

Sales Tax Act 1990 section that sets the per-invoice penalty for non-compliance.

Section 21A

Sales Tax Act 1990 section that allows suspension of sales tax registration on repeated default.