The Punjab Excise and Taxation Department has suspended the registration status of more than 850,000 vehicles belonging to token tax defaulters as part of an aggressive campaign to recover outstanding dues before the close of the current fiscal year.
According to officials, the department has intensified enforcement measures during the final days of the fiscal year, directing field officers across the province to take strict action against vehicle owners who have failed to pay their annual token tax.
Authorities revealed that over 1.7 million vehicle owners in Punjab are required to pay annual token tax. So far, nearly 875,000 vehicle owners have paid approximately Rs9 billion in taxes. However, more than 850,000 vehicle owners still owe over Rs9 billion in outstanding dues.
In response to the large volume of unpaid taxes, the Excise Department has suspended the registration status of defaulting vehicles in its digital records system. Officials say the registrations will remain inactive until all pending tax liabilities are cleared.
To accelerate recovery efforts, the department has launched a province-wide enforcement drive and instructed Excise and Taxation Officers (ETOs) to establish checkpoints in various districts. The checkpoints will operate daily from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. under the direct supervision of concerned officers.
The Excise Department has also ordered daily monitoring of tax recovery operations, with progress reports to be submitted regularly to the Director General’s Office.
Officials emphasized that vehicle owners must clear all outstanding token tax payments to restore their vehicle registration status. The department hopes the enforcement campaign will significantly increase revenue collection before the fiscal year ends on June 30.
The latest crackdown reflects the Punjab government’s efforts to strengthen tax compliance, improve revenue collection, and ensure that all vehicle owners fulfill their legal tax obligations.
