ISLAMABAD:
Conceding to mounting pressure from the business community and tax professionals, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has once again extended the deadline for filing income tax returns for the Tax Year 2025, moving it from October 15 to October 31, 2025.
In a notification issued on Wednesday, the FBR said the decision was taken under Section 214A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, following requests from trade bodies, tax bar associations, and chambers of commerce and industry.
“The Federal Board of Revenue is pleased to communicate that the date of filing of Income Tax Return for Tax Year 2025 … is further extended to October 31, 2025, in view of requests from various trade bodies and tax bar associations,” the official statement read.
This marks the second extension of the deadline. The FBR had earlier moved the original September 30 cut-off to October 15, but persistent appeals from traders, business groups, and professional associations led to another extension.
According to FBR sources, around 5.1 million taxpayers have submitted their returns so far, compared with 4.6 million by the same time last year — reflecting a rise in compliance.
The revenue body urged remaining taxpayers to take advantage of the additional time and file their returns promptly to avoid penalties and ensure legal compliance.
Business Community Welcomes Move
The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), which had been actively lobbying for the extension, welcomed the decision.
FPCCI President Atif Ikram Sheikh, in a letter to FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial earlier this week, highlighted the difficulties taxpayers were facing due to delays in financial documentation, technical issues with the FBR portal, and integration problems between Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and the FBR’s digital invoicing framework.
He said the extension would provide “much-needed relief” to taxpayers struggling to meet filing obligations amid these constraints.
The FPCCI noted that many businesses continue to face procedural bottlenecks and portal slowdowns, making it difficult to submit returns on time. The organisation maintained that the extended deadline would ensure broader compliance and enable taxpayers to file accurate returns without last-minute complications.
Political support for the extension also came from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement–Pakistan (MQM-P), a key coalition partner, which urged the government to accommodate taxpayers to facilitate smoother compliance.
With this latest decision, the FBR has walked back on its earlier stance that no further extensions would be granted, signalling responsiveness to stakeholder concerns while aiming to boost the country’s overall tax compliance rate.
