Karachi, September 30, 2025 – In a scathing attack on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) has accused the tax authority of creating a “2025 return filing disaster” through mismanagement of its online system, IRIS.
The bar association’s blistering letter to the FBR chairman alleges widespread negligence, legal violations, and a complete disregard for taxpayers’ statutory rights.
According to KTBA President Ali A. Rahim, taxpayers across Pakistan have been left stranded as repeated breakdowns and constant tinkering with the IRIS portal made return filing for Tax Year 2025 a nightmare. “What we are witnessing is not just a technical glitch—it is an institutional failure,” the letter declared.
The controversy erupted after the FBR issued the final return of income for Tax Year 2025 on August 18, 2025, through SRO 1562(I)/2025. Critics say this was in blatant violation of Rule 34A of the Income Tax Rules, 2002, which prescribes timely notification. The delayed issuance cut short the filing period to a mere 31 + 17 days, creating chaos for taxpayers and consultants.
Making matters worse, the FBR continued to modify return formats on the IRIS portal during this already compressed timeframe. Shockingly, on September 24, a new column titled “Estimated Current Market Value” was inserted in the assets and liabilities statement, only to be hastily withdrawn on September 26. Experts argue such arbitrary changes without following Section 237 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, are legally questionable and erode trust in the system.
Tax professionals complain that hours have been wasted on repeated login attempts and failed uploads due to chronic instability of IRIS. Despite repeated reminders, KTBA says its requests for meetings—whether virtual or in-person—were ignored by FBR officials.
In its letter, the association demanded that the FBR release a complete log of IRIS breakdowns under the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017. It further urged a total overhaul of the system to bring it in line with legal requirements, while also demanding that the return of income be re-notified to allow taxpayers the full statutory 90 days under Section 118 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
The KTBA went further, insisting that the FBR owes taxpayers a public apology: for violating legal procedures, misleading them about IRIS functionality, and depriving them of their lawful filing period. “This fiasco has shaken confidence in the very institution tasked with revenue collection,” the association concluded, demanding urgent corrective action.