LAHORE: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has issued strict instructions to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to ensure that all pending applications for extension in filing income tax returns are decided within three days.
In an order issued on Tuesday, the FTO said the delays in processing these applications and informing taxpayers about approvals amount to maladministration under the FTO Ordinance, 2000.
The FTO directed the FBR to instruct Member Inland Revenue (Operations) and all concerned commissioners to immediately clear the backlog. Commissioners must also give reasonable time to taxpayers who were informed about their extension after the deadline had already passed.
The complaint was filed after many taxpayers said their online applications for extension on the IRIS portal were not processed, despite being submitted on time. Many applications were still stuck in the system’s “Outbox,” causing taxpayers unnecessary difficulty.
The complainant argued that the FBR’s delay not only reflects administrative negligence but also violates taxpayers’ legal rights under the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. The FTO noted that while FBR began clearing some applications after its intervention, several taxpayers were notified two days after the extended due date—defeating the purpose of the extension.
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