ISLAMABAD: Tax advisers have requested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to extend the date for filing of returns up to November 30, 2024 instead of October 14.

In a communication to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Advocate Supreme Court Javed Iqbal Qazi said that date of submission of income tax returns for tax year 2024 has been fixed as October 14, 2024 by the FBR.

While extending the date, the FBR has not conveyed the factual position of number of returns filed by the taxpayers up to September 30, 2024.

The actual position of number of returns submitted revealed that total returns received by FBR approximately 3.7 million and returns filed as “Nil” are approximately 1.5 million. The proper returns filed showing taxable income approximately 2.2 million.

The target set by the FBR for number of returns to be received is about 5 million to 5.5 Million. So far, around 3.3 million returns are still pending and taxpayers who have already filed Nil returns will revise their returns by October 14, 2024.

The bar has received number of complaints from our members, as well as, individual taxpayers that the IRIS system is not functioning properly as it slows down and the data fed in the system also vanishes, and got deleted again and again and it has to feed again.

It is the duty of the FBR to provide stable IRIS system for the filing of tax returns.

Moreover, the present financial position of the taxpayers is not allowing them to pay off their tax liability by the due date.

In view of above, in the interest of justice and fair play last date of submission of returns should be extended to November 30, 2024 instead of October 14, 2024, he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024