Disappointed Taxpayers Seek Relief from Unmet Deadlines and Technical Challenges
Islamabad, November 2, 2023 – Frustrated taxpayers in Pakistan are calling upon the finance minister to extend the deadline for filing income tax returns up to November 30, 2023, citing disappointments stemming from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)’s handling of the matter.
Despite the initial deadline for filing income tax returns for the tax year 2023 being set for September 30, 2023, it was later extended to October 31. However, many taxpayers and tax practitioners are claiming that this extension was rendered nearly useless due to technical issues associated with the IRIS 2.0 online tax filing portal.
Javed Iqbal Qazi, an Advocate Supreme Court, has taken action on behalf of these taxpayers by writing a letter to the finance minister. In his letter, he highlighted several issues that have hindered the filing process. According to the advocate, as of October 31, 2023, only 2.9 million income tax returns for the Tax Year 2023 have been filed, significantly below the FBR’s estimate of 4.7 million.
Qazi pointed out that various challenges, including adverse climatic conditions, have had a debilitating effect on advocates, tax practitioners, and their staff. They are grappling with ailments such as dengue, seasonal fevers, and other diseases, making it difficult to prepare and submit returns for their clients.
Furthermore, the financial hardship faced by many taxpayers has prevented them from depositing their tax liabilities in the government treasury. While the necessary data for tax return preparation is available with advocates, chartered accountants, and tax practitioners, the unavailability of their staff has prevented them from preparing returns and issuing challans for their clients to deposit funds in the government treasury.
It’s worth noting that the federal government extended the deadline for the Tax Year 2022 until December 15, 2022, providing a precedent for such extensions. Additionally, local tax bars have already submitted requests to the FBR, urging them to extend the deadline for filing income tax returns up to November 30, 2023.
Taxpayers are now anxiously awaiting a response from the finance minister and the FBR, hoping for an extension that will provide them with the necessary time and resources to fulfill their tax obligations for the Tax Year 2023.
