KARACHI: The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FPCCI) has urged the federal government and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to extend the income tax return filing deadline by one month, proposing October 31, 2026, as the new cutoff date.
FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh said the extension was necessary to help businesses, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), tax practitioners and individual taxpayers complete their filings amid ongoing technical problems with the FBR’s IRIS system.
According to FPCCI, taxpayers have been facing slow response times, glitches and periods of downtime on the IRIS portal as the September 30 deadline approaches. The federation said these disruptions are making it difficult for taxpayers to submit income tax returns and wealth statements accurately and within the existing timeframe.
Sheikh said the business community remained committed to meeting its tax obligations but argued that taxpayers should not face penalties because of problems with the digital filing system.
FPCCI Highlights Filing Challenges
The federation said the IRIS system has come under significant pressure during peak filing periods, affecting tax lawyers, chartered accountants, businesses and individual filers.
FPCCI also pointed to recent amendments to tax laws and reporting requirements, saying taxpayers need additional time to understand the changes, reconcile their accounts and complete wealth statements without errors.
The federation further said inflation, higher operating costs and other economic pressures have made it difficult for many SMEs to complete financial audits and compile the documentation required for tax filing within the current deadline.
Sheikh said a one-month extension would give taxpayers additional time to resolve outstanding documentation and complete their filings while reducing pressure on the tax system.
FPCCI Links Extension to Compliance
FPCCI said extending the deadline could also support the government’s objective of increasing the number of active taxpayers and improving overall compliance.
The federation has appealed to the Prime Minister, the Minister for Finance and Revenue, and the FBR chairman to consider the proposed extension in light of the technical and administrative difficulties faced by taxpayers.
FPCCI also offered to work with the FBR to address problems with the filing system and improve the tax filing process for businesses and other taxpayers.