FBR IRIS not working: tax return deadline still 30 September, Rs 25,000 late surcharge

The FBR tax return deadline for tax year 2026 is still 30 September 2026, even though the Federal Board of Revenue has admitted that its IRIS filing portal is not working properly. With 13 days left, no extension has been announced, and a late filer now pays a Rs 25,000 surcharge to get back on the Active Taxpayer List (ATL).

What FBR admitted

On 16 September the FBR said on X that taxpayers were facing "intermittent problems" on the IRIS portal, that its teams were working on a fix, and that it would tell taxpayers once the problem was resolved, ProPakistani and TechJuice report. The trouble began on Tuesday, 15 September.

The Lahore Tax Bar Association complained of persistent glitches, delays and disruptions for taxpayers, consultants and lawyers across the country. Its chairman, Waheed Butt, asked the FBR to consider extending the deadline so that honest filers are not penalised for a system failure, TechJuice reports. The FBR has not said it will.

Why the 30 September date matters

• Rs 25,000 late surcharge: a return filed after the deadline only puts you on the ATL once you pay a surcharge, which the budget raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000, ProPakistani reported in June.
• Non-filer rates: until you are on the ATL, banks, car dealers and property registrars deduct withholding tax at the higher non-filer rates. On cash withdrawals, a non-filer pays 0.8% once the day's total passes Rs 50,000: check the cost with our cash withdrawal tax calculator.
• Refunds and adjustments: only a filed return lets you claim back excess tax deducted from your salary or profit.

What to do this week

1. Log in early or late. Intermittent faults usually hit peak hours. Try IRIS (iris.fbr.gov.pk) before 9am or late at night, and save each section as a draft as you go.
2. Use Tax Asaan. The FBR's mobile app is an official filing route for simple salaried returns, the FBR said in its 14 September advisory (24 News).
3. Keep proof of every attempt. Screenshots of error messages, with the date and time, help if you later ask the commissioner to condone a late return.
4. Get your numbers ready offline. Download your salary tax certificate from your employer, bank withholding certificates and your property and vehicle details before you open IRIS. Work out your salary tax first with our income tax calculator.
5. Freelancers: foreign earnings taxed at 0.25% through your bank still need a return for the tax to count as final. Estimate it with the freelancer tax calculator.
6. Stuck completely? FBR facilitation centres and tax offices also accept returns, according to the FBR advisory.

Will the deadline be extended?

The FBR has extended the return deadline in past years, but only by a formal notification, usually in the last days of September. Until one appears, plan for 30 September. We will update this story if the FBR changes the date.