MULTAN: Multan Tax Bar Association (MTBA) has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to reconsider and remove the mandatory password expiry condition on taxpayer portals.
In a letter addressed to the FBR chairman, the association emphasized that the 60-day password expiry policy is causing significant difficulties for taxpayers and practitioners in meeting their compliance obligations.
The MTBA pointed out that many taxpayers across Pakistan lack digital literacy, making regular password resets a challenging task. This issue is further aggravated by frequent internet disruptions, particularly in regions with limited connectivity.
Additionally, tax practitioners in Multan are already burdened with extensive workloads, including handling notices under various sections of the Income Tax Ordinance, such as Sections 147, 122, 177, and 161. The added responsibility of monitoring password compliance for multiple clients has become an unnecessary strain on their resources.
Systemic challenges such as delays in receiving one-time passwords (OTPs) via email or SMS and frequent system downtimes have also made the password reset process frustrating for taxpayers. These technical hurdles, the association noted, disproportionately impact taxpayers in Multan who are otherwise compliant with filing requirements. The MTBA argued that the mandatory password expiry policy not only creates additional hurdles but also discourages engagement with the FBR system, adversely affecting compliant taxpayers.
To address these concerns, the MTBA has proposed eliminating the mandatory 60-day password expiry condition and introducing user-friendly password recovery mechanisms.
Additionally, they have suggested providing facilitation measures for tax practitioners managing large client portfolios. The association believes that these steps would ease compliance burdens, improve the ease of doing business in Multan, and enhance the FBR’s image as a facilitative institution.
Furthermore, the MTBA emphasized that by addressing these issues, the FBR could redirect its efforts toward expanding the tax net by incorporating new taxpayers instead of overburdening existing ones.
