KARACHI: The Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) has requested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to extend the sales tax return filing deadline to March 28, 2025.
In a letter addressed to the chairman FBR, the KTBA highlighted several technical problems that have emerged following recent updates to the IRIS portal, making it practically impossible for taxpayers to comply with the current deadline despite their best efforts.
It said that the IRIS portal’s failure to update templates to accommodate the newly mandated extension of Harmonized System (HS) codes from 4 to 8 digits, creating significant complications for businesses, particularly those dealing with diverse product lines where items may fall under multiple HS classifications.
“This ambiguity may result in an increased risk of errors as businesses with high volume and dealing in diverse products will find it particularly challenging to ensure uniformity in reporting,” KTBA said.
The tax body also highlighted concerns regarding the linking of Units of Measurement (UoM) with HS codes, noting that the portal lacks “availability of all standard units of measurement” such as tons, kilograms, grams, liters, and milliliters. The mandatory association of UoM with HS codes was described as “not practical and hampers correct reporting.”
The KTBA requested the FBR to immediately address these technical issues while extending the filing deadline to the end of March, providing taxpayers “sufficient time to comply once the portal is correctly functional.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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