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Via draft SRO 1496(I)/2026 issued on 2 September 2026, FBR has proposed substituting Rule 231C, which governs Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) under Section 134A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. Under the proposed mechanism, a taxpayer seeking ADR would submit a written application in a prescribed form along with their nominee's details (CNIC, phone number, address and email), and would need to propose three retired judges for consideration as ADR Committee chairperson. This is currently a draft — stakeholders were given a short window to submit objections or suggestions before it's finalised. If you have an ongoing or upcoming dispute with FBR that you're considering resolving through ADR, it's worth checking with us on where this stands before you file.

It's a common mix‑up: many business owners assume the same 30 September cut‑off applies to everyone, but FBR sets a separate deadline for companies. If you file as an individual, salaried person, or Association of Persons (AOP), 30 September 2026 is your date — miss it and you risk both the late‑filing surcharge and loss of Active Taxpayer List status for the year. If you operate through a registered company with a 30 June financial year‑end, your statutory deadline is 31 December 2026 instead. If you're unsure which category applies to you, or you operate more than one entity with different deadlines, get in touch and we'll confirm exactly what's due and when.

Filing on time matters for more than just avoiding penalties: it keeps you compliant and helps you avoid ATL fees for non‑filers, ensures smooth business operations by maintaining your active taxpayer status, and helps build a strong financial profile that's often needed for loans, visas, and tenders. Start Date: 1‑Jul‑2026. Deadline: 30‑September‑2026. Let us handle your taxes so you can focus on growth.

The Finance Minister confirmed FBR closed fiscal year 2025‑26 having collected more than Rs13 trillion in taxes, surpassing its official target. Refunds disbursed to taxpayers rose 21% year‑on‑year to almost Rs599 billion — a meaningful sign that refund processing is moving faster. The government has also announced a newly approved operating model for FBR centred on digital, faceless tax administration to reduce direct interaction between taxpayers and officers. For our clients, this points toward continued digitisation of filing, assessment and refund processes — we're monitoring the rollout and will flag anything that changes how you interact with FBR.

Following a government review of FBR reforms, the Prime Minister has directed timely completion of the faceless assessment system for Inland Revenue. The first phase becomes operational on 1st October 2026, aiming to reduce direct interaction between taxpayers and tax officers during assessments. We're tracking this rollout closely and will guide clients through any changes to the assessment and audit process as it takes effect.

FBR periodically schedules system maintenance windows on IRIS, Digital Invoicing (DI), the Payment System, SWAPS, and POS Registration, during which these services become temporarily unavailable. To avoid being caught out by a maintenance window right before a deadline, we recommend completing time-sensitive filings, payments, and registrations well in advance rather than waiting until the due date.

FBR has officially opened filing for Tax Year 2026 on the IRIS portal. Filing before the 30th September deadline keeps you on the Active Taxpayers List (ATL) and avoids late filing penalties and surcharges. Gather your CNIC, salary certificate or business income details, bank statements, and property/vehicle records now so your return can be filed well ahead of time.

Slots fill up quickly closer to the deadline, and late filing risks penalties and loss of active filer status. Book your consultation now so your documents are reviewed and your return filed well ahead of the cut‑off.

Advance tax is calculated on projected income for the year, so instalments should be reviewed if your business's income has changed significantly this quarter. Get in touch and we'll recalculate before you pay.

Sending invoices, purchase records and bank statements early in the month gives us time to reconcile everything properly before filing, reducing the chance of errors or a missed deadline.