The Federal Board of Revenue has extended Pakistan’s income tax return filing deadline for Tax Year 2026 to October 31. The decision gives eligible taxpayers another 16 days to submit their returns amid complaints about technical problems with its online filing system.
The FBR announced the extension on Thursday, October 15, through Circular No. 04 of 2026-27. It applies to taxpayers whose original September 30 deadline had already moved to October 15. The authority had received 6.9 million returns by October 15.
“This extension is being granted in view of the requests from various trade bodies and tax bar associations,” the regulator said.
This marks the second extension during the current filing season. The FBR’s September 30 notification had granted the first additional fortnight following similar requests from business groups and tax practitioners.
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Who qualifies for the extended deadline?
The latest notification covers the same taxpayers who qualified for the earlier extension. It does not announce a blanket change to every taxpayer’s filing schedule.
FBR’s published timetable normally sets September 30 as the filing deadline for individuals and associations of persons. Companies with a special tax year also fall under that date.
The general deadline for other companies is December 31, according to the authority’s guidance. The October extension therefore concerns returns originally due on September 30.
IRIS problems prompted demands for more time
This year’s filing season has faced complaints about slowdowns, software bugs and submission failures on the IRIS portal. Some individuals struggled to complete filing because the system did not properly accept their returns.
Business organisations argued that these problems left taxpayers with insufficient time to prepare and submit accurate information.
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The Sialkot and Lahore chambers of commerce sought an extension until December 2. Both cited recurring technical interruptions and difficulties completing the required disclosures.
Their concerns included updating immovable property details and providing bank account International Bank Account Numbers, or IBANs. The chambers said these tasks required time for verification and reconciliation.
Sialkot’s chamber also raised concerns about minimum tax calculations for taxpayers earning income from multiple sources. It requested corrective measures and protection from penalties linked to system-related delays.
How taxpayers can confirm successful filing
Taxpayers can submit their returns through the official FBR IRIS portal. However, saving information in a draft does not complete the filing process.
FBR’s guidance says successful submission requires the income tax return and applicable wealth statement to move from Draft to Completed Task.
The authority also provides written instructions and video tutorials through its online knowledge base. These explain how to complete returns and wealth statements.
For taxpayers affected by failed submissions, checking the completion status remains an important final step before the new October 31 deadline.
