ISLAMABAD: Despite clear instructions of the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is reluctant to notify the manual /paper income tax return for the Tax Year 2025.
Details of the issue revealed the Inland Revenue (Operations) Wing FBR has failed to implement key recommendations of Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) to upload and notify the manual/ paper income tax return for the Tax Year 2025, an omission that the FTO has held to constitute negligence and inefficiency in the discharge of official duties of the FBR.
According to sources, the FTO ruled that such conduct amounts to maladministration within the meaning of Section 2 (3) (ii) of the FTO Ordinance, 2000, as it reflects clear neglect and inattention to statutory obligations by the Member Operations IR.
FBR Member IR warned: Manual returns omission sparks FTO’s ire
The complaint before the FTO, Waheed Shahzad Butt stated that failure to make available the manual or paper return forms, as required under the Income Tax Rules, 2002 has caused unnecessary hardship to taxpayers and practitioners who rely on the manual system for filing their annual returns.
FTO has ordered Member to immediately ensure the upload the manual/ paper tax return for Tax Year 2025, emphasizing that adherence to prescribed rules.
The FTO order stated: “The complainant stated that as per rule 73(2DD) of Income Tax Rules 2002, it is mandatory to e-file the Income Tax Return if an individual taxpayer has taxable income one million rupees or more. Accordingly, other taxpayers having less income than Rs 1,000,000/- are required to file manual income tax returns.
However, the FBR did not issue the manual return form for tax year 2025 for the eligible taxpayers. The latest screen shot of the income tax returns up to 2024 has been placed.
Despite clear legal mandate and previous practice, the FBR has failed this time to upload or notify the manual/ paper return for the tax year 2025. This negligence and inefficiency in the discharges of duties constitutes maladministration.
The FBR should immediately ensure upload of the manual/ paper tax return for tax year 2025, the FTO order added.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025