ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has established the National Faceless Centre (NFC) in Islamabad as part of a major reform aimed at changing the way tax audits and assessments are conducted across Pakistan.
The decision was approved by the FBR Board in Council during a meeting held on September 25, 2026. Under the new system, taxpayers selected for audit will no longer have to deal directly with a specific tax officer or visit a particular office for routine proceedings.
Cases will be selected through a computerised, risk-based system rather than by individual officers. Once selected, each case will be automatically assigned to an officer who may be located anywhere in the country. The taxpayer will not be informed of the officer’s identity, while the officer will have no role in selecting the case.
The new system will also separate key stages of the tax process among different officers. One officer will conduct the audit, a second will prepare the assessment, and a third will review the case for quality before an order is issued.
All notices, taxpayer responses and hearings will be handled electronically through the FBR’s IRIS system. Where physical verification or recovery is required by law, the relevant work will be carried out separately by field teams.
The NFC has been established under the legal framework provided by the Finance Act 2026. It will be headed by a Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue and will include dedicated wings for faceless audit, faceless assessment, quality control and field operations. A Programme Management Unit has also been established to oversee the implementation of the initiative.
According to the FBR, the reform is intended to ensure consistent procedures for taxpayers, increase the use of data in tax decisions and reduce face-to-face interaction between taxpayers and tax officials.
The FBR expects the National Faceless Centre to make tax proceedings more efficient, transparent and consistent for taxpayers across the country.
