The Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA) has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to immediately address delays, technical glitches and other operational problems affecting the IRIS tax filing portal ahead of the Tax Year 2026 return submission deadline. The association has raised concerns that ongoing issues with the online tax system could create unnecessary difficulties for taxpayers and tax practitioners as they prepare and submit their annual income tax returns.
According to the PTBA, the Tax Year 2026 return was uploaded on July 27, despite the timeline provided under Rule 34A of the Income Tax Rules, 2002. The association has highlighted that the timing and availability of the return have added to concerns surrounding the filing process, particularly as taxpayers and practitioners require sufficient time to understand the requirements, enter information and complete submissions through the IRIS system.
The tax body also pointed to multiple technical glitches within the IRIS portal that are affecting the filing experience. These problems are creating difficulties for both taxpayers and tax practitioners who rely on the system to prepare and submit tax returns. With the filing deadline approaching, PTBA has called for these technical issues to be resolved without delay so that users are able to complete their obligations without facing avoidable interruptions.
Another concern raised by the association relates to the amount of structural property information that taxpayers are required to enter into the system. PTBA said that providing excessive property-related details has made the return preparation process more time-consuming. The association has proposed that property information should be streamlined, with the reporting requirements focused mainly on properties acquired during the year, capital gains and income generated from property.
The PTBA has also highlighted differences in the treatment of minimum tax attribution under sections 148 and 153. The association believes that these provisions and their treatment within the filing system need to be properly addressed to avoid confusion for taxpayers and practitioners while preparing Tax Year 2026 returns.
A further issue identified by the tax body is the removal of the auto-save facility from the IRIS portal. The association warned that the absence of this feature could result in taxpayers losing information already entered into the system if a session is interrupted. Such interruptions may occur because of connectivity problems, session expiration or technical errors within the portal. For users who spend significant time entering detailed tax information, the loss of previously entered data can create additional work and increase the difficulty of completing the filing process.
PTBA has therefore called on FBR to immediately restore the auto-save facility in IRIS. The association has emphasized that taxpayers should be able to save their work during the filing process so that technical or connectivity interruptions do not force them to enter the same information again.
The association has also urged FBR to ensure that the IRIS system is properly tested before new features, changes or filing requirements are deployed. According to PTBA, adequate testing can help identify technical problems before they affect taxpayers and practitioners using the portal during critical filing periods.
The demands come as taxpayers prepare to meet their Tax Year 2026 filing obligations. A reliable and properly functioning online tax system is particularly important during the filing period because a large number of taxpayers and tax practitioners may access the portal simultaneously.
PTBA has called for the immediate resolution of the reported technical problems, restoration of the auto-save function and improvements to the overall filing process. The association’s objective is to ensure that taxpayers can submit their Tax Year 2026 returns smoothly and without unnecessary hardship caused by technical limitations within the IRIS system.
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