Tax bars seek an additional 34 days to compensate for delays in issuing the original filing notification, while FBR sources indicate that no further extension is planned and non-filers may face hefty penalties.
Islamabad, October 31, 2026: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is unlikely to grant another extension for filing income tax returns for Tax Year 2026, despite mounting pressure from tax bar associations seeking additional time for taxpayers.
Saturday, October 31, 2026, is the final date under the FBR’s latest extension, which has already provided taxpayers with an additional 30 days through two successive extensions from the original September 30 deadline.
FBR sources indicated that the tax authority does not intend to extend the deadline further and may impose substantial penalties on taxpayers who fail to meet their filing obligations.
The Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA) and Lahore Tax Bar Association (LTBA) have separately urged the FBR to provide additional time, arguing that taxpayers should receive the complete statutory filing period.
In a letter to FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, PTBA President Sheikh Ahsan Ul Haq and General Secretary Tahir Mahmood Butt requested a further 34-day extension.
The association noted that the Gazette notification prescribing the Tax Year 2026 filing date was issued on September 2, 2026, representing a delay of 64 days from July 1, 2026. It argued that the extensions granted so far had only partially compensated for the delay.
The PTBA also highlighted that the FBR had received 7.3 million income tax returns by October 29, generating Rs85 billion in revenue. During the corresponding period last year, 6.8 million returns had generated Rs88.5 billion.
Meanwhile, Asif S Kasbati, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP) Fiscal Law and Economic Advisory Committee, highlighted a legal provision that could provide taxpayers with additional time.
He explained that under Section 10 of the General Clauses Act, 1897, where a statutory deadline falls on a public holiday, the deadline shifts to the next working day.
According to Kasbati, although the FBR formally extended the deadline until Saturday, October 31, the filing date could effectively move to Monday, November 2, 2026.
He referred to an earlier FBR precedent from December 2018, when a Saturday filing deadline was shifted to the following Monday.
Kasbati advised taxpayers to submit their returns as early as possible and retain copies of relevant FBR circulars and legal provisions to address any subsequent queries from tax authorities.