ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Pakistan has issued a directive to all tax offices, including Large Taxpayers Offices (LTOs), Medium Taxpayers Office (MTO), Corporate Tax Offices (CTOs), and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs), to ensure the collection of taxes for September 2023 by the 28th of the month. This move is in consideration of the celebration of Eid Milad-un-Nabi, which falls on Friday, September 29, 2023.
The FBR has instructed all field formations to make necessary arrangements to accomplish the collection of taxes and duties, including advance taxes, withholding income taxes, and the recovery of demand taxes, on or before September 28, 2023, to avoid any disruption due to the public holiday.
Additionally, an earlier communication issued on September 18, 2023, emphasized that September 30 is the final deadline for individuals, including salaried employees, business owners, Associations of Persons (AOPs), and companies with special fiscal years, to file their annual tax returns for the tax year 2023.
To facilitate taxpayers and ensure timely tax collections and return submissions, the FBR has mandated that tax offices remain open and operational until 8:00 PM on Saturday, September 30, 2023. This extended working hours initiative aims to provide taxpayers with ample time and accessibility.
Chief Commissioners Inland Revenue have also been instructed to establish effective liaisons with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and authorized branches of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP). This collaboration is intended to ensure the seamless transfer of tax collections by bank branches to the corresponding SBP branches on the same day, accounting for tax collections within the month of September 2023.
Furthermore, the FBR has advised Chief Commissioners Inland Revenue to allocate the extension of working hours exclusively to officers and officials directly involved in tasks related to taxpayers’ facilitation, return filing, and the collection and recovery of taxes. This targeted approach aims to optimize resources and serve taxpayers efficiently during this critical period.
The FBR’s proactive measures demonstrate its commitment to simplifying the tax compliance process for individuals and businesses, fostering greater tax compliance, and contributing to the government’s revenue collection efforts. Taxpayers are encouraged to take advantage of the extended working hours to meet their tax obligations and submit their annual returns on time.
