ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has officially extended the deadline for filing sales tax returns until March 27, 2025.
This decision comes as a relief to businesses struggling with technical difficulties on the IRIS portal.
In an official notification, the FBR informed chief commissioners of Inland Revenue from Large Taxpayers Offices (LTOs), Medium Taxpayers Offices (MTOs), Corporate Tax Offices (CTOs), and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) about the extension for submitting sales tax and federal excise returns for the tax period of February 2025.
The original deadline for filing sales tax and federal excise returns was March 18, 2025.
However, due to widespread complaints from taxpayers facing persistent issues on the IRIS system, the FBR decided to extend the deadline by nine days.
The business community had repeatedly raised concerns about technical glitches on the IRIS online portal, which made the filing of sales tax returns difficult. Many taxpayers encountered system errors, slow processing times, and failures in data submission, leading to frustration and non-compliance risks.
“The last date for filing sales tax returns for February 2025 expired on March 18, but many taxpayers faced unresolved technical issues on the IRIS platform,” said Ali A. Rahim, President of the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA). He emphasized that the ongoing problems had made it nearly impossible for businesses to meet their filing obligations on time.
Rahim further expressed disappointment over the FBR’s handling of the situation, noting that despite multiple appeals from tax professionals and business groups, no permanent resolution had been provided for the technical failures. He also criticized the FBR’s new requirement for businesses to declare goods in weight instead of units, calling it impractical and burdensome for taxpayers.
The extension of the filing deadline for sales tax returns is expected to provide temporary relief to businesses. However, tax experts stress the need for the FBR to address underlying issues in the IRIS system to prevent similar disruptions in the future. With the new deadline approaching, businesses are urged to complete their sales tax return filing promptly to avoid last-minute technical difficulties.
