Islamabad: The Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA) has called on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to introduce a transparent, time-bound grievance redressal system as part of broader reforms to improve the country’s digital tax infrastructure.
In a formal representation submitted to FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, the association highlighted a series of technical and legal shortcomings in the current system, warning that these gaps could undermine the objectives of the authority’s ongoing digitisation drive.
The PTBA proposed that system-related complaints should be resolved within 48 to 72 hours under a structured and mandatory framework. It stressed that such a mechanism should be transparent, multi-tiered and fully auditable, with clearly defined escalation channels to senior officials.
According to the association, taxpayers currently face difficulties due to the absence of an integrated platform to raise, track and resolve technical issues. It recommended direct access to designated technical representatives of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL), along with relevant officers of the FBR’s IT wing, to ensure timely resolution of problems.
Beyond grievance handling, the PTBA identified broader operational concerns within the digital tax system, including mismatches between digital procedures and existing legal provisions, incomplete integration of Harmonised System (HS) codes, and the lack of a formal mechanism to correct digital records.
To address these issues, the association submitted 12 recommendations. These include ensuring that all laws, rules and statutory regulatory orders (SROs) are fully incorporated into the IRIS system, rather than being partially implemented.
The PTBA also called for a systematic review of the system’s alignment with statutory provisions, starting with SRO 297(I)/2023, followed by corrective measures where discrepancies are identified.
Among other proposals, the association recommended standardising units of measurement in sales tax returns in line with the Sales Tax Act 1990 and developing a formal mechanism for digital correction and rectification supported by audit trails.
It further urged the FBR to restore an independent and empowered Member IT position to strengthen oversight of the digital infrastructure, and to establish jointly agreed standard operating procedures with PRAL for dispute resolution.
The PTBA also proposed periodic public disclosure of system performance indicators, such as uptime, error rates and complaint resolution timelines, to improve transparency and accountability.
The association said these measures were necessary to address persistent digital gaps affecting taxpayers and to ensure that ongoing reforms are supported by robust governance, legal alignment and efficient operational systems.
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