KARACHI: On behalf of the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) and the broader community of taxpayers and practitioners, a formal request has been made to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to address persistent malfunctions and breakdowns of the IRIS portal.
The Association noted that the due date for the payment of advance tax under Section 147 for the first quarter of Tax Year 2026 was September 15, 2025. System-generated notices were issued to remind taxpayers; however, a majority of individuals could not comply by the deadline due to the IRIS portal’s non-functionality.
As a result, taxpayers have started receiving recovery notices under Section 138, which may soon lead to coercive measures, including penalties, default surcharges, and attachment of bank accounts. KTBA stressed that punishing otherwise compliant taxpayers for technical failures of the FBR’s infrastructure is profoundly unjust, undermines trust, and fosters unnecessary litigation.
The Association further highlighted that these failures have also disrupted return filing and tax payment processes during a critical compliance period. Despite repeated reminders, portal performance remains unreliable.
KTBA has urged FBR to immediately halt coercive recovery actions, extend the advance tax payment deadline until October 10, 2025 without surcharge or penalties, and ensure seamless portal functioning. The body expressed confidence that FBR leadership would adopt a sympathetic and pragmatic approach.
