Slowdown in IRIS creates problems for taxpayers: KTBA

KARACHI: Tax practitioners have complained about slow working of returns filing portal and informed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) that due to it many taxpayers will not be able to file their annual returns by November 15, 2017.

In a communication sent to the finance minister on Wednesday, the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) said the bar members are passing through severe stress due to unreasonable time of IRIS – the official FBR returns filing portal – downtime and its slow working.

“The members are complaining that they will not be able to complete their returns filing due to huge backlog by virtue of the late prescribing of the return forms, particularly the forms of wealth statement,” it said.

The tax bar said the return forms, including declaration of wealth statement, were issued on September 28 through SRO 981 (I)/2017. Under the law, the taxpayers should be provided at least two months from issuance of forms in case of salary persons and cases falling under the final tax regime and three months in case of business individuals.

As per the law, salaried persons are required to file their returns by August 31 and business individuals by September 30. The FBR on October 31 extended the last date for filing annual returns for the tax year 2017 up to November 15.

The KTBA said time extended up to November 15 is not sufficient and it is also contrary to the time provided in the statute. Besides, the tax bar also said that most of the parts of Karachi would remain closed on Friday November 10, 2017 on the occasion of Chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) and it would not be possible for the taxpayers to visit the offices of their tax consultants and similarly many of the bar members could not reach their offices.

Further, the mobile phone service along with wireless internet services are also likely to remain closed on the occasion throughout Pakistan, the bar added. The tax bar urged the FBR to extend the last date for filing annual returns up to December 31 in order to facilitate the taxpayers.