FBR Deadline Extension Urged Amid Return Filing and Password Problems
ISLAMABAD: A senior Karachi-based tax expert has urged the FBR deadline extension due to persistent issues faced by newly registered taxpayers in filing their income tax returns and recovering passwords. These problems, he said, were resolved only a few days before the final submission date of October 15.
Asif S. Kasbati, senior member of the ICAP Fiscal Laws Committee, highlighted that while the government aims to expand the taxpayer base to 10 million, many individuals are struggling with the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) IRIS system.
“The government’s tax expansion plan is commendable, but newly registered taxpayers continue to face login and password recovery issues, making timely filing nearly impossible,” he said.
Technical Problems Before the Deadline
Kasbati noted that despite the efforts of taxpayers and consultants who worked tirelessly over the weekend, many still encountered system glitches. Most technical issues were fixed only days before the deadline, contradicting official claims that the IRIS system is fully operational.
He further explained a key technical flaw — tax credits for donations and voluntary pension funds are being miscalculated. The system, he said, does not include surcharges under Section 4AB when computing total tax, resulting in reduced tax credits for taxpayers.
“The law clearly defines ‘tax’ to include any amount payable, including surcharges. Sections 61 and 63 require that tax credits be calculated on the total tax assessed, not partially,” Kasbati emphasized.
Fewer Returns Filed Than Expected
According to Kasbati, who also serves on the Pakistan Business Council’s Core Tax Committee, only about 5 million returns had been filed by October 13, 2025 — far below the 8.2 million taxpayers listed on the Active Taxpayers List (ATL) for 2024.
He expressed concern that the number of filed returns is not increasing as expected, mainly due to ongoing login errors, password issues, and calculation mismatches on the IRIS portal.
Call for FBR Deadline Extension
Citing Section 118 of the Income Tax Ordinance, Kasbati reminded that taxpayers whose financial year ended between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025, were required to file returns by September 30, 2025. The deadline was already extended once — to October 15, 2025.
However, given the technical and operational challenges, he urged the government to grant a further FBR deadline extension until October 31, 2025, or preferably November 15, 2025.
“Extending the due date will reduce the burden of filing individual extension requests. Many earlier extension requests are still pending removal from the IRIS system,” he added.
Acknowledgment of Professional Efforts
Kasbati appreciated the joint efforts of Tax Bars, the Professional Accountants Forum, and the Pakistan Business Council for consistently raising awareness about the issues in FBR’s online filing system.
He stressed that the authorities should prioritize resolving such technical glitches well in advance to restore taxpayer confidence and facilitate smoother compliance in the future.
Conclusion
In summary, Asif S. Kasbati’s call for an FBR deadline extension highlights the urgency to address systemic and technical challenges in Pakistan’s tax filing process. A timely extension and improved system performance can help the government achieve its ambitious goal of expanding the taxpayer base to 10 million.