KARACHI: Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), President, Muffasar Atta Malik has demanded that the last date for filing tax returns should be extended till October 31, 2017, which would enable taxpayers, who had difficulties filing, to submit their returns.
In a statement issued here, Malik said that many taxpayers may not be able to file returns by September 30, 2017, due to slow processing and constant congestion in the online system, IRIS, followed by the Ashura holidays. Internet and mobile phone services were totally suspended all over Karachi and in parts of Sindh on 8th Muharram and will continue to remain suspended on 9th and 10th Muharram-ul-Haram as well, therefore, many taxpayers will not be able to submit their returns online by tomorrow, September 30, 2017.
He noted that IRIS servers were also burdened due to excessive load throughout last week as large numbers of taxpayers were simultaneously filing income tax/ sales tax returns under section 147 and monthly statement under section 165 of the income tax ordinance.
Malik said that the complications in the online system were not something new to taxpayers as every year, submitting returns usually becomes an uphill task. He requested the FBR to seriously focus on enhancing the capacity of its online system which was not even capable of smoothly handling a meagre number of less than 1 percent registered taxpayers.
“FBR must consider all these aspects and accordingly provide relief to loyal taxpayers by extending the last date for filing returns up to October 31, 2017”, he added.
