Tax bar urges FBR to fix glitches in IRIS 2.0 system

KARACHI: Tax bar has asked the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to resolve some of the glitches in the online system that are hampering taxpayers’ compliance with tax laws and procedures.

In a letter to the FBR, the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) highlighted two issues that have emerged recently in the IRIS 2.0 system, the online portal for filing tax returns and responding to notices.

The first issue is related to the inability of taxpayers to respond to notices issued by Inland Revenue Officers (IROs) after their assessment orders are modified by the Commissioner Inland Revenue- Appeals (CIR-A).

The letter stated that there is no option available within the IRIS 2.0 system to submit a reply or response to these notices, which results in non-compliance without the taxpayers’ own fault.

The second issue is related to the limitation of filing only one rectification application under Section 221 of the Income Tax Ordinance in a tax year.

The letter stated that this restriction is unreasonable and unjustified, as there can be multiple proceedings under different sections of the Ordinance that may require rectification.

The letter urged the FBR to fix these glitches in the IRIS 2.0 system as soon as possible and to issue instructions to field formations not to take adverse action against taxpayers who are unable to respond to notices due to system limitations.

The letter also suggested that taxpayers should be allowed to file replies manually until the IRIS 2.0 system provides for an option tab.

The letter followed a Zoom meeting on Sept. 7 between the tax bar associations and FBR officials, including Member IT, Member Operations, Chief IT Policy and core Technical Team of PRAL, where the issues covered in their previous letters were discussed and considered for resolution.

The letter expressed hope that the FBR would take immediate steps to resolve these issues and facilitate taxpayers in fulfilling their obligations.