Tax return last date is tonight: FBR says extension circular is fake, banks open till 10pm

Updated Wednesday 30 September 2026, 7pm PKT. The "extension circular" going round on WhatsApp and social media is fake, the FBR says. In a post on its social media accounts this afternoon, the board said: "The circular circulating in the media regarding the extension of the date for submitting income tax returns for the tax year 2026 is fake. No such circular has been issued by the FBR," Business Recorder reported. The deadline is still midnight tonight, 30 September.

What to do in the next few hours: file on IRIS, and if the return shows tax payable, generate the PSID and pay it: bank branches stay open until 10pm for tax payments, and internet banking, apps and ATMs keep taking them after that. A return filed after midnight is late, and the penalty for an individual rises to Rs 25,000. Not sure what you owe? Run your salary through our income tax calculator first.

Earlier, Wednesday 30 September, 3:45pm PKT: Today is the income tax return last date, and there is still no extension. The FBR has issued no notification moving the date, so a return filed after midnight tonight is late. Samaa reported this afternoon that 4,876,384 returns have been filed for tax year 2026, about 1.36 million more than the 3,516,265 filed for the previous year. Of these, salaried people filed 1.623 million returns and non-salaried individuals 3.206 million.

What changes at midnight: from 1 October the late-filer category ends, and the penalty for a late return rises to Rs 25,000 for an individual (from Rs 1,000), Rs 50,000 for an association of persons (from Rs 10,000) and Rs 100,000 for a company (from Rs 20,000), as the FBR warned on 29 September. Banks stay open until 10pm tonight for tax payments, so if IRIS shows tax payable, generate the PSID and pay it before you log off.

Earlier, Tuesday 29 September:

The FBR says there will be no extension: 30 September (Wednesday) is the final date for income tax returns. Geo News reported tonight that the board has now received nearly 4.88 million returns, against just over 3.5 million for the previous tax year, and repeated that the late-filer category ends on 1 October.

Banks open until 10pm on Wednesday. At the FBR's request, the State Bank has told all commercial banks to keep branches open until 10:00pm on 30 September for over-the-counter payment of government taxes and duties, and to keep internet banking, mobile apps and ATMs running for tax payments, Business Recorder and ProPakistani reported. Branches handling NIFT's special clearing of government transactions stay open as long as needed. If your return shows tax payable, generate the PSID on IRIS and pay it the same day: the challan must be paid for the return to count.

Earlier, 4pm: The income tax return last date is still 30 September 2026, which is tomorrow, and the FBR has not extended it. From 1 October a late return costs more: ARY News reported today, citing FBR sources, that the penalty for a late return rises to as much as Rs 25,000 for individuals (from Rs 1,000), Rs 50,000 for an association of persons (from Rs 10,000) and Rs 100,000 for a company (from Rs 20,000), and that the old "late filer" category ends: anyone who misses the date is treated as a non-filer until the return and surcharge are in. The FPCCI joined the call for more time on 28 September, asking for 31 October because of IRIS slowdowns and new wealth statement requirements. Separately, the FBR has moved the sales tax and FED return filing date to 30 September.

Earlier, 10:30am: As of this morning the FBR has not extended it. A return filed after Wednesday only puts you on the Active Taxpayer List (ATL) once you pay a Rs 25,000 surcharge.

Where filing stands: the FBR told the visiting IMF mission it has received about 4.7 million returns, against 3.2 million at the same point last year, ProPakistani reported on 29 September. The board said it will review the filing position before deciding on an extension, and that any extension would need a formal announcement. Tax bar figures are lower: returns cited in Business Recorder on 28 September put the count near 3 million, against roughly 8 million non-trader returns expected.

Who is asking for more time: the Pakistan Tax Bar Association has asked FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial to extend the date to 3 December 2026, backed by the Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujrat tax bars, and tax expert Asif S Kasbati has suggested 31 October. They cite the return form being notified on 2 September instead of 1 July, the longer wealth statement and IRIS faults. The LCCI has asked for one month (our report).

Do not wait for an extension. The FBR has extended in past years, but only by notification, often on the last day. If none appears, a return filed on 1 October is late. File today if you can: the portal slows sharply in the last 24 hours.

Earlier, 19 September: the FBR said IRIS was operating normally again after faults from 15 September, processing more than 50,000 forms on each of 16 and 17 September.

What happened to IRIS

The portal ran intermittently from Tuesday 15 September. On 16 September the FBR acknowledged on X that taxpayers were facing "intermittent problems", said its teams were working on a fix and promised an update. On Friday 18 September it confirmed the portal was back to normal and thanked filers for their patience. The board has not published a cause.

The Lahore Tax Bar Association had complained of persistent glitches and delays for taxpayers, consultants and lawyers nationwide, and its chairman Waheed Butt asked for an extension so that honest filers are not penalised for a system failure.

The extension question

The Karachi Tax Bar Association formally asked the FBR for an extension at a meeting on 9 September, citing both the volume of information now required in a return and the IRIS faults. The FBR did not grant one. It committed instead to keep working with the KTBA on the portal, to build a mechanism for timely refunds under section 7E, and to issue instructions prioritising genuine refund claims.

Filing is running ahead of last year. About 2.2 million returns had been filed by 9 September, against 1.724 million at the same point a year earlier.

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

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, raised from Rs 1,000 to Rs 25,000 in the budget.
• 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 percent 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 before midnight on 30 September

1. File today, not tomorrow night. The predictable failure point is the last 24 hours, when everyone who waited arrives at once.
2. Get your numbers ready offline first. Salary tax certificate from your employer, bank withholding certificates, property and vehicle details. Work out your salary tax with our income tax calculator and check the 2026-27 slabs before you open IRIS.
3. Save each section as a draft as you go, so a session timeout does not cost you an evening. Step-by-step help: our IRIS login and filing guide.
4. Use Tax Asaan for a simple salaried return. The FBR's mobile app is an official filing route.
5. Freelancers: foreign earnings taxed at 0.25 percent through your bank still need a return for the tax to count as final. Estimate it with the freelancer tax calculator.
6. Keep proof of any error. Screenshots with date and time help if you later ask the commissioner to condone a late return.
7. Stuck completely? FBR facilitation centres and tax offices also accept returns.