Karachi, October 28, 2025 – In a dramatic last-minute twist, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has rolled out yet another modification to the income tax return form for tax year 2025, catching taxpayers and tax consultants completely off guard — just three days before the extended filing deadline.
The FBR’s new rule now mandates Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) details for all inflows and outflows, a requirement that tax experts say has disrupted the return filing process across Pakistan.
“All inflows and outflows now require CNIC numbers to complete the return filing,” revealed Muhammad Zeeshan Merchant, former president of the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA). He said the move has effectively brought the process to a standstill, particularly for those declaring financial movements during the year.
“This change came out of nowhere, and as tax practitioners, we are unable to proceed with our clients’ filings since this requirement was never part of the form before last night,” Merchant lamented.
He blasted the FBR for its “habitual last-minute alterations,” calling them barriers to compliance rather than facilitators of reform. “Such tactics are discouraging honest taxpayers who are trying to fulfill their national responsibility,” he added, expressing frustration at the FBR’s timing as the October 31 deadline looms large.
The original filing deadline was September 30, 2025, but amid strong backlash and mounting pressure, the FBR extended it first to October 15 and later to October 31.
Merchant urged the FBR to finalize the return form once and for all before reopening the portal. “Frequent technical and policy changes are burdensome not only for taxpayers but also for the FBR itself,” he warned, adding that such system hiccups could inevitably trigger another extension in the deadline.
Tax experts across Pakistan now await an official response from the FBR — but with the clock ticking, the latest twist has thrown the already chaotic 2025 return filing season into further disarray.