Lahore, November 3, 2025 – In a fiery resolution passed on Monday, the Lahore Tax Bar Association (LTBA) blasted the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for what it called an “unprofessional, arbitrary, and legally questionable” refusal to extend the income tax return filing deadline for Tax Year 2025.
According to a strongly worded statement, LTBA President Muhammad Asif Rana said that under Section 118 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, taxpayers are legally entitled to 92 days from the close of the financial year to file their returns. However, the FBR’s late issuance of the return notification on August 18, 2025, slashed nearly 49 days from this statutory period — a move the LTBA deems “a blatant violation of taxpayers’ rights.”
The association further revealed alarming delays in the FBR’s compliance with Rule 34A of the Income Tax Rules, 2002 — stating that the return form, which should have been published by December 1, 2024, was instead released 219 days late, on July 7, 2025. The final return form, legally due by January 31, 2025, was only notified on August 18, 2025, marking a 199-day delay.
Citing FBR’s own data, the LTBA pointed out a massive shortfall in return submissions: while 8.3 million returns were filed last year, only 5.9 million were filed by October 31, 2025 — a gap of 2.4 million taxpayers. “This proves FBR’s policies are not facilitating taxpayers but instead creating unnecessary hurdles, damaging the country’s revenue stream,” the statement read.
The LTBA also expressed shock that the FBR formed a committee on October 28, 2025 — just days before the deadline — to resolve technical glitches in the online return system. “How can 2.4 million taxpayers file their returns in two days when the system itself is broken?” the association questioned, calling it “a textbook case of administrative failure.”
Adding to taxpayers’ woes, the LTBA highlighted the chaos surrounding IRIS password resets, where thousands were unable to access their accounts. “The system collapse has effectively pushed compliant citizens into the non-filer category,” it said, warning that such negligence is eroding public trust and discouraging voluntary compliance.
The LTBA accused the FBR chairman and Member (Operations) of displaying “complete indifference” to the crisis, warning that their actions were undermining the government’s tax reform agenda and violating constitutional rights under Articles 18, 23, and 24 of the Constitution of Pakistan (1973).
The association demanded that the filing deadline be extended till November 30, 2025, urging the FBR to “honor taxpayers’ legal rights and restore public confidence.”