The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has begun processing Income Tax Returns for Tax Year 2026 from first-time taxpayers without requiring the Rs. 25,000 surcharge, allowing them to regain Active Taxpayer List (ATL) status without paying the additional amount.
Tax consultant Amer Sharif told ProPakistani that he submitted a Tax Year 2026 return for a first-time filer at around 2:00 PM on Saturday, and the taxpayer’s status was updated to Active within approximately three hours.
He said taxpayers filing their Tax Year 2026 returns should generally expect their names to appear in the Active Taxpayer List within 24 hours.
The move comes as a major relief for individuals whose banking and property transactions were affected due to inactive ATL status. It also removes uncertainty over whether filing the latest tax return would automatically restore Active status.
According to Sharif, the issue is now clear, as first-time taxpayers filing their Tax Year 2026 returns are being added to the Active Taxpayer List without being charged the previously announced Rs. 25,000 surcharge.
FBR opened the Income Tax Return filing portal for Tax Year 2026 on Saturday. The deadline for submitting returns is September 30, 2026, and there is currently no indication that the tax authority intends to extend the due date, unlike last year.
