ISLAMABAD: Despite Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) announcement of not extending date for filing of returns, the tax advisers/practitioners have approached the FBR, seeking two months extension due to slow functioning of the FBR’s IRIS system.
At the same time, the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue chairman has also raised the issue of “threatening messages” received by the taxpayers from the FBR to timely file returns by September 30th.
During the meeting of the committee on Tuesday, the committee chairman said that the tone of the messages is threatening to the taxpayers.
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According to a communication of Javed Iqbal Qazi, advocate Supreme Court to the FBR chairman, the tax experts have requested for extension in time for filing of income tax returns/wealth statements for the tax year 2024 which falls due on 30.09.2024 on the grounds that due to financial constraints/crises in country, slow functioning of IRIS system, load shedding problems being faced in different areas of the country and heavy burden on tax practitioners, advocates and Chartered Accountants, the target fixed for number of returns cannot be achieved by September 30, 2024.
The quantum of returns required to be filed by the taxpayers through the above noted three categories of the tax practitioners is too heavy and requires lot of time for the preparation of returns, deposit of tax through CPRNS in the banks and submission on IRIS system, he maintained.
“We have received many messages from our members throughout the country to request your honour to help the taxpayers/tax practitioners for the redressal of the genuine demand of the public at large and to achieve the financial targets fixed by FBR,” he said.
In view of above, and in the interest of justice and fair play, it is, therefore, most respectfully prayed that the taxpayers, the tax practitioners be facilitated and the last date of filing of returns be extended to November 30, 2024, instead of 30.09.2024, Javed Qazi added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024