Nearly 12m file tax returns solely for property, vehicle transactions

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) astonishing data disclosed that nearly 12 million income tax return filers have filed returns only to carry out one-time financial transactions for purchasing/selling immovable properties/vehicles.

Sources said that the FBR’s system constantly issuing notices to registered persons ( about 12 million of them - who registered and became filers for a single transaction) but only about 7.5 million are actually continuously filing.

Since these notices are email based hence non compliance is usually noticed when a “stop-filer” opens his “IRIS” account for new transactional filing.

READ ALSO: Missing Oct 31st filing deadline: FBR marks thousands of taxpayers inactive

“Apart from erratic behaviour of taxpayers we may need to cleanse our system by removing requirements of filing on non income earners”, sources said.

The FBR made a successful attempt to do it in Finance Act 2025 by introducing concept of “restrictions on economic transactions “ which was compromised by political economy constraints. Once that is done all spouses/ dependent children returns will stop for these one- time transactions, sources added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026