If you run a restaurant or café in Lahore, Faisalabad, Multan or anywhere else in Punjab, PRA is the tax authority you deal with most. Here's what it is, what it expects from a restaurant, and what that means for your till.
This is a practical guide, not tax advice. Rules and rates change, and your own position may differ; confirm with your tax adviser or with PRA.
What PRA is
The Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) collects sales tax on services in Punjab. Since the 18th Amendment, sales tax on goods is collected federally by the FBR, while sales tax on services is collected by each province. Restaurant meals count as a service, so in Punjab your restaurant's sales tax goes to PRA, not the FBR.
Each province has its own authority: the Sindh Revenue Board in Sindh, the KP Revenue Authority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Balochistan Revenue Authority, and the FBR for services in Islamabad (what that means for Islamabad restaurants).
What PRA expects from a restaurant
For a restaurant registered with PRA, three things matter day to day:
- Charge the right rate. Since 1 July 2026, Punjab taxes restaurant bills paid by card or digital means at 8% and cash bills at 16%. The same order has two possible totals (the card and cash rates explained).
- Report every sale as it happens. PRA's e-invoicing system expects each sale to be sent to PRA when the bill is paid. PRA replies with an invoice number.
- Print the PRA number and QR code on the bill. Guests can scan the QR code with any phone camera to check the invoice is genuine on PRA's site.
How e-invoicing works
You register each branch's point of sale on PRA's e-portal (IRIS). PRA gives each one a POS ID and an access token. Your POS then sends every paid sale to PRA using those details. PRA also has to allow the server your POS reports from, which it does by whitelisting its address.
Before going live, PRA normally lets you test in its sandbox, so you can check the PRA number appears on test bills.
Common questions
Do small restaurants have to register? Registration depends on your business and turnover. Ask PRA or your adviser whether you're required to register, and from when.
What if the internet drops? The sale shouldn't be lost. A good POS keeps the sale and sends it to PRA again when the connection is back.
Does a refund need reporting? A refunded sale needs a credit note with PRA. Check how your POS handles this before you go live. Café QR sends a credit note to PRA for every refund of a reported sale, in full or in part, and shows the credit note number on the order's receipt.
Is PRA the same as FBR? No. The FBR handles federal taxes and sales tax on goods; PRA handles sales tax on services in Punjab, including restaurants.
PRA with Café QR
Café QR sends each paid bill to PRA and prints the PRA invoice number and QR code on it, in every plan. You enter each branch's POS ID and access token on the Payments page, test in PRA's sandbox, then switch the branch to live once PRA approves it. Card, Raast and JazzCash bills get your card rate and cash bills your cash rate, each on its own line. Read the PRA setup guide, or see the full POS for Pakistan.