Lahore, July 16, 2025 — The Lahore Tax Bar Association (LTBA) has officially called upon the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to extend the filing deadline for monthly sales tax returns, citing widespread login and technical disruptions on the IRIS portal.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to the FBR chairman, the LTBA has requested that the filing deadline for sales tax returns for the tax periods of April, May, and June 2025 be extended until July 31, 2025. The association highlighted that ongoing technical failures in the IRIS system have severely hampered taxpayers’ ability to comply with their statutory filing obligations.
LTBA President Muhammad Asif Rana emphasized that despite taxpayers’ repeated attempts to fulfill their legal duty, persistent system failures — including delays in One-Time Password (OTP) delivery, malfunctioning QR code scanners, and chronic errors in Annexure H1 — have obstructed smooth return filing.
“The challenges taxpayers are facing are not isolated; they are being reported from across the country,” Rana said. “The repeated failures of IRIS during critical filing days not only frustrate users but also jeopardize timely compliance with tax laws.”
According to the LTBA, the most pressing issues include:
• Delayed or Missing OTPs: Users frequently do not receive the mandatory OTPs needed for login, stalling the entire filing process.
• QR Code Authentication Failures: Malfunctions in the QR scanner used for two-factor authentication, especially during peak hours, have been widespread.
• Annexure H1 Malfunctions: Users report consistent problems including stock duplication, data non-uploading, and system crashes.
• IRIS Downtime and Session Expiry: The system often slows down or crashes entirely near deadlines, with users being logged out mid-process and losing critical filing data.
Due to these system flaws, the LTBA argued that thousands of taxpayers and consultants have been unable to complete their filing procedures. “Imposing penalties under these circumstances would be unfair and would damage public trust in FBR’s digital systems,” said the LTBA president.
The LTBA reaffirmed its stance that an extension is vital not only for facilitating smooth filing but also for restoring taxpayer confidence. It urged the FBR to prioritize the resolution of system issues before expecting full compliance.
By extending the filing deadline, the FBR can help ensure that sales tax return filing is based on fairness and technical feasibility, LTBA concluded.