KARACHI: The Pakistan Tax Bar has formally requested Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Aurangzeb to extend the deadline for filing income tax returns for the tax year 2025, citing devastating floods and technical issues with the IRIS system.
In a letter addressed to the Finance and Revenue Minister, the PTBA highlighted the severe impact of climate-related disasters that have struck multiple provinces, making it difficult for taxpayers to meet the approaching September 30 deadline.
The country has been grappling with torrential rains and devastating floods that have adversely affected hundreds of thousands of residents across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), Punjab, and Sindh provinces.
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The calamities continue to ravage other parts of the country, creating widespread disruption to normal business and administrative activities.
“Considering the devastating condition due to floods across the country, it is not possible for tax returns to be filed within the specified deadline,” the PTBA said.
Beyond the natural disaster challenges, taxpayers are also facing significant technical difficulties with the Federal Board of Revenue’s IRIS software system. The Pakistan Tax Bar reported that despite some improvements made by the third week of August, numerous technical issues persist, with the system sometimes being “completely out of order.”
These technical glitches have caused considerable hardship for taxpayers attempting to file their returns smoothly and with proper disclosure, PTBA said.
The Pakistan Tax Bar has requested minimum one-month extension, moving the deadline from September 30 to October 31, 2025.
The Bar expressed hope that their request would be considered in the interest of the taxpayers to allow them to file their tax returns within due time without any penal consequences under the law.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025