FBR’s IRIS system: PCDMA chief expresses his concern over persistent glitches

Salim Valimuhammad, chairman of the Pakistan Chemicals & Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA), has written to the FBR chairman to flag recurring faults in the IRIS system. According to Business Recorder, he has warned that the glitches are holding up sales tax return filings and leaving registered traders reliant on their suppliers. The letter asks for urgent action, as the faults are making it harder for taxpayers to meet statutory deadlines.

The PCDMA chairman singled out Annex H1, a stock statement for traders introduced under SRO 350(I)/2024. He argued that the requirement has made taxpayers reliant on suppliers for completing and submitting returns, a dependence he called unnecessary. As a result, many sales tax-registered persons are finding it hard to file by the due dates, although they want to stay compliant.

The association says the problem reaches beyond chemical traders, and it has prepared a detailed presentation with a proposed permanent mechanism. Valimuhammad said the proposal would offer broad relief for businesses and speed up return filing, and he stressed that the goal is removing procedural hurdles rather than weakening compliance. PCDMA, which has around 750 members, has offered technical help to the FBR for any clarification needed.