FBR extends deadline for filing income tax returns to Oct 31

Islamabad: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has once again extended the deadline for filing income tax returns for the tax year 2026 to October 31, 2026. The decision was communicated via the FBR's X account, stating that the extension is granted to individuals who were previously required to file by September 30, 2026, and whose filing deadline had been previously extended to October 15, 2026.

The FBR's extension comes in response to requests from trade bodies and tax bar associations, who have cited delays in issuing return forms and increased online traffic as reasons for seeking a later deadline. Previously, the deadline was extended to October 15 from the initial September 30. Trade bodies and professionals had urged the government to extend the deadline to October 31 to facilitate trade, industry, and other tax filers.

The Karachi Tax Bar Association had also submitted a five-page letter to the Member Inland Revenue, outlining various issues, including delays in the issuance of draft notifications and technical glitches on the IRIS portal, which have hindered the smooth filing of tax returns. The total number of returns filed up to October 14, 2026, reached 6.71 million, an increase of 34.38% from the corresponding period last year.

This is in contrast to the 4.99 million returns filed during the same period in the previous tax year. The total tax paid with returns up to October 14 stood at Rs66.81 billion, marking a 14.61% increase compared to last year's Rs58.29 billion. In 2026, returns filed by non-salaried individuals, which include traders, shopkeepers, professionals, and self-employed individuals, rose by 46.35%, from 3.04 million to 4.45 million.

Returns by salaried individuals increased by 16.16%, from 1.88 million to 2.18 million, reflecting the overall growth in tax filings.