Tax Bar Associations, chartered accountant firms, tax advisers, and expertsin taxation have jointly approached the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) torequest an extension of the deadline for filing income tax returns,advocating for an extended timeframe until October 31, 2023. Their pleaarises due to the intricate mix of technical and legal challengesencountered during the process of filing returns. FBR has decided toenhance the last date for filing of the income tax returns keeping in mindthe latest technical faults.
In a recent development, the FBR took a proactive step by disseminatingautomated SMS notifications to all registered taxpayers on September 24th.These messages conveyed a clear directive: “Dear taxpayer, please submityour income tax return for the fiscal year 2023 as soon as possible. Thedeadline for return submission is September 30, 2023, and no extensionswill be granted.” This resolute stance from the tax authority hasheightened the urgency of the situation, prompting stakeholders to unite inseeking an extension.
The Karachi Tax Bar Association, a prominent advocate for taxpayers’rights, has brought a pressing IT glitch within the Integrated RiskInformation System (IRIS) to the FBR’s attention. This technical hiccup haseffectively paralyzed taxpayers, rendering them incapable of responding toofficial notices—an essential element of the tax assessment and appealsprocess.
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This recent glitch within the system is of particular concern as itdirectly impacts a taxpayer’s ability to address notices issued by IROfficers (IROs) following modifications made to appeal orders by theCommissioner Inland Revenue- Appeals (CIR-A). Typically, when a CIR-A makesadjustments to an assessment order, the corresponding IRO issues a noticeto the taxpayer for further proceedings. Regrettably, the current versionof IRIS, IRIS 2.0, lacks the requisite functionality to facilitate thesubmission of a reply or response by the taxpayer in such circumstances. Inlight of these multifaceted challenges, the call for an extension of theincome tax return filing deadline stands as a pragmatic and necessaryrequest to afford taxpayers the necessary time to navigate these technicaland legal obstacles effectively.
