Leading trade and business associations across Pakistan have jointly urged the government to extend the deadline for filing income tax returns for the tax year 2025, citing persistent technical glitches in the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) IRIS portal and other procedural challenges.
The Lahore Tax Bar Association (LTBA), in a letter addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, requested an extension until December 31, 2025, highlighting that taxpayers are unable to file returns due to ongoing portal errors, incorrect tax computations, and system crashes. LTBA President Muhammad Asif Rana emphasized that unresolved technical flaws have caused widespread frustration among taxpayers and practitioners, hampering compliance and potentially affecting revenue collection.
Similarly, the Pakistan Chemicals & Dyes Merchants Association (PCDMA) called on the FBR to push the deadline from October 15 to November 30, 2025, citing delays in the issuance of return forms and continuous technical disruptions. PCDMA Chairman Salim Valimuhammad said taxpayers are struggling with “unresolved glitches and slow portal response times,” urging the FBR to provide relief through an extension.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) and the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) also appealed to the government to grant at least a one-month extension. FPCCI Senior Vice President Saqib Fayyaz Magoon and LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol stated that facilitating taxpayers amid the current economic challenges is essential to sustain business confidence and ensure compliance.
Both leaders underscored the need for stability in business policies, rationalization of energy tariffs, and inclusion of private-sector representatives in economic policymaking. They reaffirmed that the business community stands ready to cooperate with the government for improved tax compliance, provided that technical and procedural barriers are addressed promptly.
The collective demand from tax professionals and trade bodies reflects growing concern over system inefficiencies, with stakeholders emphasizing that a practical extension would not only ease taxpayer distress but also help the FBR achieve its revenue targets more effectively.
