DJ Butt served tax notice for Rs17 million

E-Paper | July 30, 2026

LAHORE: DJ Butt has been served a tax notice of Rs17 million on services rendered by the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA).

DJ Butt was served the notice in regards to revenue earned from event management services during the period of August 2014 to December 2014, when the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) held a protracted sit-in in the capital.

As per Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act 2012, DJ Butt is liable to pay 16 percent on revenue earned through his event management services. The notice was served by Ayesha Ranjha of PRA.

Read: DJ Butt, PTI agree on formula for payment of liabilities

According to PRA, DJ Butt has not filed any income tax returns and neither is he registered with PRA. Records of PRA further show he earned Rs107 million during the six month period mentioned in the notice.

DJ Butt, on the other hand claims that he has not received the complete amount due to him from Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and hence the tax notice is not applicable.

Further, he plans to challenge the notice served by PRA as he claims he was not performing event management services during PTI's months-long sit-in last year. He has been asked to present himself at the PRA office in Lahore on 23 July.

Muhammad Asif, popularly known as DJ Butt, has been a permanent feature at PTI rallies and major party events. But the disc jockey soared to fame for his music and stage lighting during the PTI's months-long sit-in in Islamabad last year.

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Alien

Jul 11, 2015 04:47pm

Well done tax office keep it up........

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Salman Ahmad Khan

Jul 11, 2015 04:49pm

Hahaha ... he must be repenting now, why he came on TV.

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Yaqoob

Jul 11, 2015 04:50pm

First time Punjab govt or any of their departments has done a commendable job. Well done .

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Jawwad

Jul 11, 2015 04:53pm

Poor soul. Smell conspiracy of pti

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Zibbi

Jul 11, 2015 05:08pm

The empire strikes back... Well done Sharif bros

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SAR

Jul 11, 2015 05:12pm

Haha... price of speaking against Parvez Rashid. :P

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Hassan

Jul 11, 2015 05:16pm

If he pays this amount then he will be paying more tax than whole Sharif family put together

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Talha

Jul 11, 2015 05:25pm

The poor guy refused Parvez Rasheed's help.

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Khalid

Jul 11, 2015 05:36pm

This is typical of how Pakistan government officials and government departments work. How long are we going to live like this?. Is this how an honest governement machinery should work?. Someone who plays music is under the mircoscope but all the big fishes (particularly the ones who send 4 million dollars to their sons in Dubai) are never apprehended. No one asks any questions and no one can. Accountability should not start from the bottom of the pile. Let us start from the top!. Shall we?

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Khwaja

Jul 11, 2015 05:44pm

@Khalid Who will do this?

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Shiraz

Jul 11, 2015 05:46pm

Fantastic. Some PRA officials are still awake.

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Harmony-1

Jul 11, 2015 05:47pm

@Hassan - Rulers don't pay tax. How dare you! They just plunder.

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nac Paris

Jul 11, 2015 05:47pm

He is paying price for supporting PTI. Another vicious move by PML-N. Income Tax department is not that honest otherwise they could have served notices on PML-N MNAs, MPs, those living beyond their means and owner of multi billion assets. Simple FBR dare not touch them

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M.Saeed

Jul 11, 2015 05:49pm

What a paradox! The leader of his party Imran Khan had paid Rs. 200,000 as tax in 20014 while his worker DJ has been slammed with a tax of 17 million, 85 times that of Imran!

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Habib

Jul 11, 2015 05:52pm

16% tax in a country where there is no light for hours, no law, no protection, no security, no benefits? What a shame!

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Azi

Jul 11, 2015 06:05pm

Ironic isnt it? He complained of financial trouble and got in one himself. What do we learn from this? Clean up your porch before telling others to do so.

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Ali

Jul 11, 2015 06:08pm

Lalach buri bala hi.. And out tax department, always these inefficient, incompetient, incapable, insane and all the other 'ins' as apply to them people, , serve tax notices only after any news comes in media..

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@expat

Jul 11, 2015 06:13pm

Pay now DJ. Your income is as taxable as anybody else's.

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shabut

Jul 11, 2015 06:28pm

Another shameful tactics from the Punjab Govt. These people sitting in the current Govt. have ruined every fiber of this society. This society has become intolerant, corrupt, deceptive, fraudulent, uneducated, and uncivilized in general. These are the things these Sharif brothers support and run their politics on.

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M.Malik

Jul 11, 2015 06:40pm

Oooops....what a coincidence!

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Khaled

Jul 11, 2015 07:10pm

This is what you call ,inviting trouble. Where? were the tax authorities while he was blasting his music for 126 days right next to the Tax office in Islamabad.

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Adnan

Jul 11, 2015 07:24pm

I'll make my son a "D J"...what a profitable profession it is ... !

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ali

Jul 11, 2015 07:29pm

This DJ guys tax is just 170 lack rupees (17,000,000) from August 2014 to December 2014. Imagine how much he earned? I saw him on tv saying that he does not charge PTI for his services and its free.

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Cyrus

Jul 11, 2015 07:34pm

@Hassan .... It's great to be the boss.

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Lucky Star

Jul 11, 2015 07:36pm

@shabut Your comments are definitely indicative of your mindset about Sharifs without proofs and also indicative of your prejudice against them,

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Javed Arshad

Jul 11, 2015 07:40pm

Now that's the way to go.

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Ali

Jul 11, 2015 07:42pm

@shabut What is wrong in asking tax for amount he earned(around 170m as per him). He should have paid this but like every Pakistani, he also thought why should I pay tax.

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Haji

Jul 11, 2015 08:14pm

@Habib Why can't we look at it as there is no light for hours, no law, no protection, no security, no benefits because people refuse to pay taxes? Every one points towards the positions but, with the exception of a few, we all are the same; Tax-Chores.

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rana1

Jul 11, 2015 08:18pm

If DJ was never registered at tax office,wonder how many in pakistan are not registered as well.

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Patriotic Indian

Jul 11, 2015 08:26pm

I love this. Bring the "reality" in front of People of Pakistan, they need to painfully adjust with many more hard realities of Imran Khan.

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Sab Se Pehle Pakistan

Jul 11, 2015 08:28pm

Great job. Now how about taxing PML-Ns ministers whose names were released in NAB's recently released list for millions of dollars and pounds corruption. How about starting from the top.

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Fawad khan

Jul 11, 2015 08:31pm

This again proves that all institutions including punjab revenue authority are higly politicised and they will only take action when you dare to speak against the sharif family. Merit and professionalism does not exist.

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kuriouskat

Jul 11, 2015 08:49pm

so....the tax office didnt see the fat cats in parliament living like kings...flouting their wealth shamelessly while paying negligible or no tax..

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Sal

Jul 11, 2015 09:08pm

These are politically motivated score seattling move from the income tax department. Income tax should be independent. Poor man will suffer but it is hard to live in Pakistan under the democracy.

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Atif Faiyaz

Jul 11, 2015 09:32pm

This is absolute hogwash. Where are the tax notices issued for Sharif family for the billions they have accumulated.

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Jul 11, 2015 09:50pm

Will he get the award from Sharif Brothers on payment of tax higher than Shariff brother!

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Salman Mahmood

Jul 11, 2015 10:04pm

This is the problem with Nawaz . They act like kings and target whoever speaks against them. They need to pay taxes themselves first.

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Akram

Jul 11, 2015 10:16pm

all political parties should check that every candidate of theirs and any dealing with any individual, that these persons are registered for tax. This should be a legal minimum.

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Yaqoob

Jul 11, 2015 10:16pm

He has claimed 38 lacs in food allowance. I think he should have been in PMLN when one looks at his eating habits.

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Akram

Jul 11, 2015 10:18pm

@Habib maybe their is no light or other thins because there is no one paying income tax! ever thought about that? you want output, without putting anything in?

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MAS

Jul 11, 2015 10:49pm

Was the PTI supposed to deduct withholding tax and deposit it in the state exchequer, on the amounts released, so far? Are they liable for not doing so? Does this show their mindset to be no different from that of Purana Pakistan?

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Monal

Jul 11, 2015 10:59pm

Greed has no bounds. He earned in millions for doing practically nothing, never paid any penny of tax, then sent a notice to his employers for more money, and now when he got a tax notification he says that this is not applicable because he did not receive the full amount! Only in Pakistan.

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Kabir

Jul 11, 2015 11:10pm

None of the commentators know how tax system works. Commenting on no electricity & other tings are not part of this problem. The true act should be that DJ has to bill PTI along with 16% tax on any bill he gave. PTI in turn will pay entire bill with tax included. That portion of tax so collected is government property and has to be paid to Tax office. Since DJ has billed PTI and has been paid he musty pay Service Tax Part to Tax office for the amount DJ billed. Whether he received money or not he must pay in accordance with the bills he created for services performed. If he does not get paid he can always get refund for that portion or get credit. The whole idea is now for him to get registered with Tax Authorities talk to them and show them bank account statements. I am sure3 PTI paid him with checks not in cash. On the other hand PTI made a mistake to pay him any money since his invoices did not include service tax. Accountant at PTI is also equally responsible.

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zafar

Jul 11, 2015 11:29pm

Be careful what you wish for! Charging an exorbitant fees in crores for some music and then filing no taxes. The underground economy in Pakistan has to be brought under the tax net. Fault also lies with the tax authorities - it is only after the paper reports that he was charged. Were they sleeping before? How many others are there who can pay but are flying under the radar, while the indirect taxes keep going up.

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zafar

Jul 11, 2015 11:31pm

@Zibbi This is ridiculous. Were they sleeping before? How many others who should be paying and aren't are there. Tax authorities have been claiming for years that they will go after tax cheats based on their lifestyle. Where are those claims now?

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Bilal

Jul 12, 2015 01:31am

This 16% is tax on services and not income tax. Its illogical to compare it with other people's income tax figures.

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SHB

Jul 12, 2015 01:37am

How come,the tax dept always come to know that taxes are not paid now? Were they sleeping or getting a cut from DJ?

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Awais Tanveer

Jul 12, 2015 01:44am

but how can you tax a guy on an amount he hasn't earned yet. Has PTI paid him in full?

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Nadeem

Jul 12, 2015 04:09am

Good Job guys !!!!

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taher

Jul 12, 2015 05:18am

Banega ub Naya Pakistan, please ask PTI also who spent 107 million on music alone what about other stuff during sit in?

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MAlvi

Jul 12, 2015 07:40am

It only confirms that the taxation laws in Pakistan are flawed. In America, the tax would have been deducted by PTI when the amount was paid to DJ, and deposited into government treasury. The big wigs are not fixing the system, because they are taking advantage of such laws.

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