How to verify a company in Pakistan before you hire it
The short answer
Ask for the company's registered name and its incorporation number, check them on the SECP's public company search, and check its tax number on the FBR's Active Taxpayer List. For engineering or public sector work, ask for any Pakistan Engineering Council or EPADS registration. Then ask to see work you can check is real.
By the engineers at WhiteHat Design Studio. Published .
Four checks, in order
| Check | Where | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Registered name and incorporation number | The SECP’s eServices company search | The company exists under that name |
| Tax status | The FBR’s Active Taxpayer List | It files its returns |
| Engineering registration | The Pakistan Engineering Council | It is registered for engineering consultancy, where your work needs that |
| Public procurement | EPADS, run by the PPRA | It is registered to bid for federal government work |
The company record
The Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan keeps the register of companies. Its eServices portal has a public company name search. Ask the supplier for its registered name and its incorporation number, and check that the name on the register matches the name on your contract and invoices. A mismatch between the two is a reason to stop and ask.
Not every business is a company. Partnerships are registered with the provincial Registrar of Firms instead, and a sole proprietor may not be on either register, so ask which kind of business you are dealing with.
Tax status
The Federal Board of Revenue publishes the Active Taxpayer List. A company appears on it when it has filed its tax return for the year the list covers. The FBR offers three ways to check: online, by text message, sending ATL, a space and the seven-digit NTN to 9966, or by downloading the list itself.
Registrations for engineering and public work
The Pakistan Engineering Council regulates the engineering profession and registers engineers, consulting engineers and constructors. If your project needs registered engineering, ask for the registration and check it with the PEC.
For federal government work, suppliers register on EPADS, which the PPRA describes as a centralised registry of verified suppliers and bidders. The PPRA also publishes a list of blacklisted firms.
Work you can check
Papers prove a company exists. They do not prove it can do your job. Ask to see work running, ask who would work on your project, and ask what you receive at the end. The handover checklist is a good list of what to ask for.
Working across time zones and contracts
Pakistan Standard Time is five hours ahead of UTC all year, with no daylight saving, which gives most of Europe a shared morning and the Gulf most of a working day. Put ownership of the work, data handling and the governing law in the contract itself, rather than relying on anyone’s general terms.
Then apply the test to us. Our company facts for procurement teams list our registered details, and we will answer any question on them.
Questions people ask next
How do I check if a company is registered in Pakistan?
Ask for its registered name and incorporation number, then search for it on the SECP's eServices portal. Partnerships are registered with the provincial Registrar of Firms instead, and a sole proprietor may not be on either register.
How do I check a company's tax status in Pakistan?
The FBR publishes the Active Taxpayer List. You can check a company online, by sending ATL, a space and its seven-digit NTN to 9966, or by downloading the list.
What time zone is Pakistan in?
Pakistan Standard Time, five hours ahead of UTC all year, with no daylight saving.