MTBA seeks restoration of effective statutory filing period for TY26

The Multan Tax Bar Association has asked the Prime Minister to instruct the FBR to restore a workable filing period for Tax Year 2026, according to Business Recorder. Its letter, signed by president Muhammad Younas Ghazi and general secretary Malik Khadim Hussain Maitla, blames a late return form and repeated IRIS portal faults for making on-time, correct submissions impossible. This follows an earlier appeal dated September 28, 2026, which had sought a general extension.

The association says the problem is larger than a missed date. It cites Rule 34A of the Income Tax Rules, 2002, which lays out a timetable for drafting and testing and expects the final form on IRIS by January 31. The Tax Year 2026 return was notified on September 2, leaving only 28 days before the September 30 filing date. Portal freezes, failed uploads, login trouble and long outages cut those days further, even on Sunday, September 27, when offices were open on a public holiday.

On September 30 the FBR issued Circular No. 3 of 2026-27 under Section 214A, moving the deadline to October 15, 2026. The association says the circular ignores the late Rule 34A finalisation and the IRIS defects, and that relief came only hours before the original cutoff. It wants formal recognition of that departure, at least 90 more days once the return works reliably, and no penalties or loss of Active Taxpayer status for affected filers.