Call to extend tax filing deadline by 48 days

The Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry (HCSTSI) has urged the federal government to extend the income tax filing deadline by 48 days, citing changes in the IRIS portal and flood situation in Punjab, KPK and Sindh. In a statement on Sunday the chamber’s president Muhammad Saleem Memon argued that the desired relief is necessary to facilitate taxpayers and to prevent them from being subjected to avoidable penalties and hardships.

This year, he said the FBR has introduced several new changes, like automated data uploading, interactive forms, and a new verification mechanism in the IRIS tax return filing system. However, he claimed, the system has not become completely functional. “Taxpayers and accountants are experiencing login problems, repeated error messages and unclear issues such as ‘receipt value’ errors.”

Memon pointed out that even the salaried individuals have complained of confronting difficulties on the portal.

“Strict adherence to the current deadline, under these circumstances, would unjustly penalize thousands of people,” the chamber’s president cautioned.

While referring to the rain and flood hit areas in the country, he said the suspension of electricity, internet, and banking services have deprived both traders and salaried individuals of timely access to their financial records and accounts. He added that it will be extremely uphill or even impossible for such filer to complete the tax filing within the given timeframe. The HCSTSI He urged the government to immediately announce an extension.