KARACHI: Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) has requested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to urgently appoint a Commissioner IR, Appeals-V, in Karachi, citing severe administrative gaps that have left taxpayers without proper appellate recourse for several months.
In a letter addressed to the FBR Chairman, KTBA highlighted how the prolonged absence of a dedicated commissioner has created a growing backlog of appeals and stay applications, causing significant hardship for taxpayers.
The letter said that the Appeals-V jurisdiction initially operated under an additional charge assigned to Commissioner IR (Appeals-VII). However, the heavy workload of that office resulted in substantial delays in hearing appeals and stay applications from the Appeals-V jurisdiction.
The situation deteriorated further when administrative responsibility for Appeals-V was transferred to the Commissioner, IR (Appeals-IV), on November 21, 2025. This frequent shifting of jurisdiction has prevented many appeals from being scheduled for hearing, the KTBA said.
It said that the administrative vacuum has had serious consequences for appellants, adding that cases that were partially heard must now restart before a new forum, while all pending stay applications have been reset, terming it as inefficient and contrary to principles of natural justice.
KTBA said that without a commissioner to hear stay applications, tax authorities have initiated coercive recovery proceedings against appellants who have not had the opportunity for a fair hearing on their appeals, arguing that these developments have undermined taxpayer confidence and compromised the integrity of the appellate system.
Therefore, an immediate request has been made to the FBR chairman to appoint a Commissioner IR Appeals-V Karachi to provide much-needed relief to both taxpayers and legal practitioners, it added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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