ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has denied “Active Taxpayer” status to the manual income tax return filers for Tax Year 2024.
According to the tax experts, the FBR has violated the Federal Tax Ombudsman’s (FTO) binding directions, as well as, FBR Circular No 6 of 2025-26.
Tax experts opined that the statutory orders, internal circulars, and taxpayer rights are treated as optional, at the whims of field officers.
When contacted, a tax lawyer Waheed Shahzad Butt termed the conduct of FBR as “deliberate, malafide, and contemptuous.”
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He stated that the case is not about confusion or technical error, but about institutional defiance of law. “The FBR itself issued Circular No 6 of 2025-26, explicitly recognising the plight and legal status of erstwhile manual return filers.”
The Circular unambiguously extended the filing date till 30th November 2025 under Section 214A and mandated FBR field offices to provide free legal and technical assistance, including lawyer services.
Despite this clear legal framework, the FBR officials have allegedly blocked filer status, ignored repeated representations, and brazenly refused to implement FTO directions, effectively punishing a lawful taxpayer for no fault of his own, Waheed Butt added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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