FBR warns of severe punishments for unauthorized access to taxpayer data

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced severe punishments, including imprisonment, for tax officers or officials found guilty of copying, accessing, or tampering with the information systems or taxpayer data classified as “Critical Infrastructure” without proper authorization.

In a communication issued to field formations on Tuesday, FBR stated that the Cabinet Division has approved the classification of FBR’s infrastructure as “Critical Infrastructure” under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) 2016. This approval is aimed at strengthening security measures against any potential breaches of FBR's systems.

As part of this directive, FBR has officially declared its IT infrastructure—including data centers, applications, and systems hosting taxpayer data—as “Critical Infrastructure.” This classification is meant to act as a deterrent to those who might attempt unauthorized access or manipulation of FBR's systems.

PECA 2016 prescribes severe legal consequences for anyone found copying, accessing, or interfering with information systems or data categorized as “Critical Infrastructure.” Offenders could face imprisonment, fines, or both under Chapter-II of the PECA Act. Any damage, leakage, or misuse of taxpayer data will result in legal action against the responsible individual(s).

In light of these new regulations, all relevant authorities and personnel have been instructed to take immediate steps to ensure the protection of FBR's Critical Infrastructure, in accordance with the newly issued guidelines.