Islamabad: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) further extended the deadline for filing income tax returns for Tax Year 2026 to October 31, as set out in an official circular issued on Thursday, October 15.
The extension applies to taxpayers originally required to submit their returns by September 30, whose deadline was previously extended to October 15.
According to Circular No. 04 of 2026 to 2027, issued by the FBR's Inland Revenue wing, the decision was made under Section 214A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
The FBR said the extension followed requests from trade bodies and tax bar associations for additional time for taxpayers to file their returns.
The original filing deadline was September 30, and the FBR first extended it to October 15. The latest decision is the second extension for Tax Year 2026.
Trade organisations and tax professionals raised concerns about delays in issuing income tax return forms, technical problems with the FBR's online IRIS portal, and heavy traffic affecting the filing process.
The Karachi Tax Bar Association also approached the tax authority, highlighting difficulties with the online system and delays in releasing relevant notifications.
Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry President Atif Ikram Sheikh previously requested an extension until 31 October to support businesses and individual taxpayers.
Official figures show that approximately 6.71 million income tax returns were submitted by October 14, compared with 4.99 million in the same period last year, an increase of 34.38 per cent.
Tax payments accompanying returns reached Rs 66.81 billion by October 14, up from Rs 58.29 billion in the same period last year, an increase of 14.61 per cent.
Returns filed by non salaried individuals, including traders, shopkeepers, and self employed professionals, rose by 46.35 per cent, while filings by salaried individuals rose by 16.16 per cent.
The latest extension gives eligible taxpayers more time to submit their returns through the FBR's online filing system.
