A proposal to extend the deadline for filing income tax returns for 2024 by 15 days is under consideration, with business organisations and tax bar associations pushing for a one-month extension, sources revealed.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is facing an unusual surge in activity on its Iris portal, causing significant slowdowns in the online system.
While the salaried class has been able to submit their returns without major issues, those filing returns involving large data sets or complex files have encountered serious difficulties in processing.
As of now, over 3.5 million taxpayers have submitted their returns, with the number of filers doubling compared to the same period last year.
Despite this, concerns over the system's ability to handle the load have led to calls for more time.
With the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's approval, the formal notification for the 15-day extension is expected to be issued on the current deadline. However, business groups and tax professionals are continuing to push for a longer extension of up to one month to accommodate the large number of pending filings.
