LAHORE: This year, taxpayers across the country have been left puzzled by a noticeable delay in the issuance of Real-Time Assessments (RTA) on filed income tax returns. Many are asking why, unlike in 2024 when the acknowledgment appeared instantly in IRIS, the process in 2025 is taking nearly 20 to 25 days.
Last year, the system generated RTAs immediately after submission. While this seemed efficient, it created its own set of challenges. Numerous complaints surfaced regarding mismatches in CPR (challan payments), inconsistencies in wealth statements, and errors in withholding tax data. These discrepancies not only caused complications but also resulted in an increased number of notices being sent to taxpayers.
To address these concerns, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has implemented a new Batch Processing System for the current year. Under this arrangement, returns are no longer assessed in real time.
Instead, they pass through several verification stages, including confirmation of challan payments, cross-checking of withholding statements, and validation of wealth statements and annexures. Only after this data is cross-verified does the system release the RTA, typically within 10 to 15 days of filing.
According to officials, this change is designed to improve accuracy, reduce errors, and minimize unnecessary notices in the future. By linking the process to risk profiling, FBR aims to ensure that returns are handled more carefully, with higher-risk cases receiving closer scrutiny.
The delay in acknowledgment, therefore, should not be taken as a sign of any issue with an individual return. Instead, it reflects a new policy direction focused on precision and compliance. Taxpayers can expect their RTAs to appear automatically after the verification cycle, usually within two weeks.
Experts advise filers to ensure their wealth statements, CPR, and withholding details are entered correctly to avoid delays or complications.
