The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has provided tax professionals with a detailed look at several features of its income tax return system, focusing on tools that allow taxpayers to report property investments, business capital and inherited assets more effectively.
The demonstration was conducted during an online consultation with the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA). The session was part of the FBR’s continuing efforts to gather feedback from tax practitioners and improve the digital tax-filing experience.
Easier Reporting of Property and Capital
During the meeting, the FBR’s Domain Team demonstrated how taxpayers can enter information about investments in immovable property in their tax returns. The system also allows users to record more than one business capital holding and declare tax under the relevant provisions of tax law.
Another feature demonstrated during the session enables taxpayers to include inherited property in their records. FBR officials also explained that some fields in the system are optional. The vehicle chassis number, for example, does not have to be entered where the field is not mandatory.
According to the FBR team, the existing return system is operating without major technical issues or significant software defects. Questions raised by KTBA members were addressed during the demonstration, with officials providing practical explanations of how different features work.
Tax Bar Appreciates FBR’s Approach
KTBA President Mehmood Bikiya welcomed the FBR’s willingness to listen to concerns raised by tax professionals. He appreciated the authority’s efforts to make the return system more responsive and easier for taxpayers and practitioners to use.
KTBA Vice President Saud ul Hasan also praised the FBR for maintaining direct communication with the business community. Such consultations can help the tax authority identify difficulties faced by users and make practical improvements to the online filing process.
Suggestions for Future Improvements
The tax bar also presented several recommendations that could further simplify the filing process in future versions of the return system.
One major suggestion was to introduce an Excel upload option. Such a facility could make it easier for taxpayers and tax practitioners to enter large volumes of financial information without manually filling in every field.
The association also requested a review of the requirement to provide certain financial information again in the following year’s return. In addition, KTBA proposed that the system should generate a PDF containing an explanation of the relevant legal provisions concerning tax residence status.
Refunds and Assessment Matters
The discussion was not limited to technical features. KTBA representatives also raised concerns regarding the timing of refund applications, deemed assessment orders and revision of tax returns.
FBR officials explained that some of these matters are linked to existing policy and legal provisions. They specifically referred to the 15-day deemed assessment rule and said the concerns raised by the association had been sent to the FBR’s Policy Wing for review.
A More Digital and User-Friendly Tax System
The consultation demonstrates the FBR’s continued focus on improving Pakistan’s digital tax-filing infrastructure through direct feedback from practitioners.
Features for reporting property, business capital and inherited assets could make the return process more structured, while proposed additions such as Excel uploads could reduce the burden of manual data entry.
As consultations with tax professionals continue, further changes may be introduced to address practical filing issues. The broader objective is to develop a tax return system that is simpler, clearer and more convenient for taxpayers, while also improving transparency and compliance across the tax system.