The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Monday made it clear that the deadline for filing income tax returns for tax year 2025 will not be extended beyond September 30, despite speculation linking the cut-off to the recent floods.
In a statement, the FBR said it had “taken notice of unverified reports” circulating on various media platforms suggesting an extension, with some even tying it to the monsoon floods that have left millions affected and caused hundreds of casualties nationwide.
The board dismissed the notion, stressing that “a vast majority of taxpayers reside in areas unaffected by floods and have had ample time to discharge their national obligation of filing returns.”
The revenue authority also rejected claims that its Integrated Risk Information System (Iris) had slowed down, terming such reports “unfounded.” It said the system was “fully operational, functioning smoothly, and taxpayers can easily file their returns using the new simplified income tax return form.”
FBR cautioned taxpayers that failure to submit returns on time would “result in late-filer status and imposition of penalties under the law.” While urging all eligible taxpayers to act with “accuracy and honesty” before the September 30 deadline, it added that “in case of extreme hardship, taxpayers can avail an extension of up to fifteen days with payment of due taxes by September 30, subject to approval by the relevant committee as per law.”
The announcement comes days after the government made a dramatic U-turn on the 2025 return form. Under pressure from various stakeholders, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the removal of a controversial column requiring taxpayers to declare the estimated fair market value of movable and immovable assets.
The decision followed deliberations by a high-powered committee headed by Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar, which consulted senior tax officials before recommending the deletion of the valuation column.
