Karachi, October 29, 2023 – The Multan Tax Bar Association (MTBA) has officially called upon the tax authorities to extend the deadline for filing income tax returns for the tax year 2023 until November 30, 2023.
This plea for an extension has arisen in response to the ongoing challenges faced by taxpayers in using the online return filing portal, IRIS 2.0, which is managed by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
In a letter addressed to FBR Chairman Malik Amjad Zubair Tiwana, the MTBA has not only requested that the technical errors in the online portal be rectified but has also urged the chairman to grant an extension for filing tax returns, pushing the deadline to November 30, 2023.
The current deadline for filing income tax returns for the tax year 2023 stands at October 31, 2023, and it had already been extended from the initial date of September 30, 2023. The FBR had issued the income tax return form on July 1, 2023, providing taxpayers with a three-month window to fulfill their return filing obligations.
However, the introduction of an upgraded version of the online return filing system, IRIS 2.0, in mid-August 2023 has caused significant turmoil among taxpayers and various stakeholders due to numerous issues.
In its letter to the FBR chairman, the MTBA expressed its concerns about the launch of the new software during the peak season of income tax return filing. The tax bar questioned the feasibility of meeting the income tax return filing target for the tax year 2023 under these circumstances.
The problems associated with the IRIS 2.0 system continue to persist, creating disruptions for both taxpayers and tax consultants attempting to file their income tax returns.
The MTBA emphasized that aside from the technical and practical issues highlighted in a previous communication dated September 2, 2023, the most critical concern is the loss of data within IRIS 2.0. This data loss has led to unintentional compromises in the declaration given in the income tax return and wealth statement.
The tax bar has put forward these issues before the FBR chairman with the hope of immediate redressal to ensure a smoother process for filing tax returns. The extension of the return filing deadline is seen as a crucial step in providing taxpayers with the necessary time to address these issues and fulfill their tax obligations accurately.
As the November 30 deadline proposal gains attention, taxpayers and tax professionals await a response from the tax authorities, hoping for a more accommodating and efficient tax return filing process.
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