The office of the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has registered an unprecedented number of complaints against the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), with April 2025 alone accounting for nearly 8,000 grievances. The surge is being interpreted as a reflection of growing taxpayer dissatisfaction, instances of alleged mal-administration, and cases of harassment.
According to data compiled by the FTO office, a total of 7,919 complaints were lodged against the FBR in April 2025. This figure represents the highest number of complaints received in a single month in the FTO’s history, significantly exceeding previous monthly totals.
Overall Complaint Statistics for 2025
The data released on Tuesday indicates that the total number of complaints formally instituted with the FTO during 2025 has reached 14,563 so far. Of these, the FTO office has managed to dispose of 6,938 complaints against the FBR.
Monthly Breakdown Reveals Trend
A month-wise breakdown of complaints filed with the FTO office during the current year illustrates the dramatic increase in April. In January 2025, the FTO received 1,736 complaints against the FBR. This number rose to 2,747 in February and stood at 2,144 in March, before surging to the record high of 7,919 in April.
The sharp rise in complaints underscores potential areas of concern regarding the FBR’s operational procedures and its interactions with taxpayers.
