Karachi: The Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) has raised concerns over access-related issues with the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) IRIS portal, calling for immediate resolution and temporary relief in the form of an extended deadline for filing June 2025 sales tax returns. In a formal letter to the FBR chairman, KTBA outlined several operational and logistical challenges being faced by taxpayers, particularly overseas residents, tax consultants, and corporate entities, under the current login authentication process of the IRIS portal. The association noted that the mandatory QR code verification, which is sent only to the taxpayer’s registered mobile number, has created barriers for timely compliance.
Read: FBR collects PKR 11.7 tn in FY25, falls short of target According to KTBA, many overseas taxpayers are unable to receive SMS messages originating from Pakistan due to network restrictions. Additionally, in corporate settings, the registered number is often linked to a director or authorised individual who may not be available during key filing periods. This renders legal representatives — including e-intermediaries, accountants, and tax consultants — unable to file returns on behalf of clients, despite holding valid authorisation. The association has urged the FBR to address these gaps by implementing Section 52A of the Sales Tax Act, 1990 and corresponding provisions under the Income Tax Rules, 2002. Full implementation would allow authorised e-intermediaries to access relevant data and submit returns, statements, and appeals directly via IRIS. To improve accessibility and reduce dependency on SMS, KTBA has proposed that QR codes also be delivered to the taxpayer’s registered WhatsApp number and email address. This would ensure overseas taxpayers and corporate filers have multiple channels for secure login verification. Further, the association has recommended enabling multiple compliance officers within companies to log in using credentials linked to the business’s National Tax Number (NTN), improving flexibility while maintaining security through existing biometric verification and password reset protocols.
Read: FBR details how overseas property buyers can avoid non-filer tax penalties For overseas taxpayers, KTBA suggested biometric verification be facilitated through NADRA’s Pak ID platform. Lastly, the association requested that taxpayers be given a 60-day period to update their registered mobile numbers and email addresses in the IRIS system before strict enforcement of the new order begins. Any future updates, it added, should require QR code verification to prevent misuse while improving system flexibility. The KTBA reiterated its support for improved security measures but stressed the importance of balancing those efforts with accessibility and practical compliance facilitation.
Samra Zulfiqar, a real estate analyst at Zameen.com, is passionate about finding projects that offer buyers the best returns. Her keen insights spotlight the market’s most promising opportunities.
