Govt urged to extend tax return filing deadline

Atif Ikram Sheikh, president of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), has asked the government and the Federal Board of Revenue to push back the income tax return filing deadline by one month, to October 31, 2026. According to Business Recorder, he said the step would help traders, industrialists and other filers who are struggling to meet the current cutoff. He described the request as a practical necessity rather than a concession, aimed at higher compliance and a wider tax base.

The FPCCI linked the request to what it called severe technical problems at the FBR's IRIS portal, which has suffered frequent slowdowns, glitches and downtime during heavy traffic. Such disruptions, it said, are keeping many willing taxpayers from submitting returns and wealth statements on time. The body also pointed to recent amendments to tax laws and reporting rules, which it said have caused confusion and call for more time to reconcile accounts.

Sheikh added that high inflation and rising operating costs have stretched SMEs, many of which are struggling to complete audits and gather documents within the deadline. The federation argued that an extended window would bring in more filers and higher revenue, while rushing would reduce submissions. It has appealed to the prime minister, the finance and revenue minister and the FBR chairman to act on the situation.