The Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA) has called on the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to urgently resolve technical problems in the IRIS portal, saying taxpayers are facing difficulties in filing their Tax Year 2026 income tax returns as the deadline approaches.

The tax body said the Tax Year 2026 return was made available on the IRIS system on July 27, later than the timeline provided under Rule 34A of the Income Tax Rules, 2002.

PTBA said the delay has left taxpayers and tax practitioners with less time to complete their filing requirements. Subsequent bugs and technical issues have added to the difficulties.

The matter was discussed at a training session held at the RTO Lahore Auditorium on August 25. The session, arranged by the Lahore Tax Bar Association, covered Tax Year 2026 return filing and the Asaan Small Traders Fixed Tax Scheme.

Officials from FBR and PRAL briefed participants on the filing process and the small traders’ scheme. The question-and-answer session also saw taxpayers and practitioners raise concerns about problems with the IRIS portal.

PTBA has asked FBR to make tax return forms available within the prescribed timeframe and properly test the system before launching it. It also called for faster action to resolve bugs affecting filers.

The association particularly objected to the requirement for detailed structural information about immovable properties.

According to PTBA, entering such extensive information requires significant time, while the late release of the return has already shortened the period available to taxpayers.

For Tax Year 2026, the association proposed requiring detailed property information only where a taxpayer purchased or acquired property during the year, earned a capital gain from its sale, or declared rental/property income.

Details of properties already held by taxpayers could instead be submitted in the following tax year, PTBA suggested.

The tax body also highlighted a difference in the treatment of minimum tax attribution under Sections 148 and 153 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.

PTBA said taxpayers have a facility to declare income attribution themselves in cases covered by Section 148, but no similar option is available for Section 153.

It urged FBR to examine the difference and consider introducing a consistent mechanism where legally and technically possible.

Another concern was the removal of the auto-save feature from the IRIS portal.

PTBA said information entered by taxpayers and practitioners can be lost because of interrupted sessions, connectivity problems, system errors or heavy traffic on the portal.

This forces users to repeat data entry and wastes valuable time, particularly during busy filing periods.

The association has called for the auto-save function to be restored, with data automatically saved at regular intervals and retained in the draft return until final submission.

PTBA urged FBR to address the technical and operational issues immediately to prevent further difficulties for taxpayers and ensure smooth filing of Tax Year 2026 returns.