FBR Sets New Record for Tax Returns, Gives Update on Deadline

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced a record surge in income tax return filings for Tax Year 2025, with 5.9 million returns submitted as of 7:00 p.m. on October 31. This marks a 17.6% increase over last year’s 5 million returns, reflecting a significant boost in voluntary compliance and taxpayer engagement. Despite the robust growth, the FBR has made it clear that there will be no blanket extension in the filing deadline, following explicit directions from the Prime Minister. Taxpayers facing genuine hardships can, however, seek individual extensions through the FBR’s IRIS system by contacting their respective field offices. Of the total returns filed, 3.6 million taxpayers submitted returns with tax payments, a jump of 18.6% compared to the same period last year. Individual taxpayers have contributed nearly Rs. 9 billion more than last year, with payments rising from Rs. 60 billion to Rs. 69 billion, a 15% increase. The FBR attributes this surge to an aggressive outreach campaign led by the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Information, and the FBR itself. The campaign included nationwide robocalls, WhatsApp messages, and behaviorally informed nudges, nearly 800,000 reminders, along with targeted emails to encourage timely and accurate filing. The FBR has praised the growing cooperation of citizens and reaffirmed its commitment to supporting honest taxpayers through simplified processes and digital tools. Officials expect the final tally to rise further as more returns are filed before the midnight deadline.