Income tax return form goes live on IRIS portal as taxpayers prepare for September 30 filing deadline

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Tuesday officially launched the tax return filing season for Tax Year 2026, making the income tax return available on its IRIS online portal for taxpayers to begin preparing their returns.

In a statement, the FBR announced that taxpayers can now access the Income Tax Return 2026 through the IRIS system.

“The Income Tax Return for Tax Year 2026 is now live on IRIS. You can begin preparing your income tax return for Tax Year 2026. You may save the return as a draft; however, submission is not yet enabled,” the tax authority said.

The FBR had earlier released the draft income tax return forms for Tax Year 2026 through SRO 835(I)/2026, issued on May 7, 2026, seeking feedback from stakeholders before finalising the forms.

Under the existing filing schedule, September 30, 2026, is the deadline for submitting income tax returns for salaried individuals, business individuals, Associations of Persons (AOPs) and companies with a financial year ending on December 31.

The commencement of the filing season follows the enactment of the Finance Act, 2026, which introduced stricter compliance measures aimed at strengthening tax documentation, broadening the tax base and improving revenue collection.

Among the key changes, the FBR has substantially increased penalties for the late filing of income tax returns, making non-compliance significantly more expensive for taxpayers.

Tax officials have advised individuals and businesses to begin compiling their financial records, income details and supporting documentation in advance so that returns can be submitted promptly once the online filing facility is activated on the IRIS portal.

The FBR expects the enhanced enforcement measures, combined with its digital filing platform, to improve compliance and increase the number of income tax return filers during the Tax Year 2026 filing season.