FBR Targets 20+ Social Media Influencers for Hiding Income and Tax Evasion

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has uncovered over 20 cases involving social media influencers who flaunt luxury lifestyles but declare little to no income or assets in their tax filings. These individuals showcase expensive cars, international travel, and extravagant living on platforms like Instagram, yet their tax returns reflect significantly lower incomes, raising serious concerns about tax evasion.

One notable case involves a digital content creator and travel vlogger whose lavish trips from 2020 to 2025, including destinations like Seychelles, UAE, Spain, the UK, Maldives, and multiple European countries, were documented online. Despite this, the vlogger’s declared income and assets remain disproportionately low compared to the lifestyle portrayed. For example, in 2024, while traveling extensively, the reported income was just Rs. 816,800 with net assets of Rs. 1,929,120, highlighting substantial underreporting.

Another high-profile investigation revealed concealed assets worth Rs. 180.5 million linked to a member of a political family from South Punjab. This individual owned multiple luxury vehicles, including a Lexus LX 570 valued at Rs. 80 million, a Toyota Fortuner Legender, a Suzuki Hayabusa superbike, and a BMW i7 electric sedan, none of which were declared in tax returns. Despite registering as a taxpayer in 2023, only a fraction of assets was reported, indicating clear attempts to hide wealth and evade taxes.

A third case involves a taxpayer with Rs. 624 million worth of undisclosed assets, including 19 luxury and high-performance vehicles such as a Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray, Range Rover, Audi Q7, and several Toyota Land Cruisers. None of these vehicles were declared in asset statements, prompting ongoing investigations by the FBR’s Lifestyle Monitoring Cell.

The FBR’s crackdown on these influencers and high-net-worth individuals signals a stronger push to ensure transparency and accountability in income declarations. While the identities of the suspects remain confidential due to income tax laws, the investigations highlight efforts to curb tax evasion by those who use social media platforms to display wealth not reflected in their official filings.