ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has reached a new milestone by receiving 5.9 million income tax returns for the tax year 2025, reflecting a 17.6 percent increase compared to the 5 million returns filed during the same period last year. The final deadline for filing returns was October 31.
According to an official statement, the FBR followed the directive of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif not to grant a blanket extension for filing. However, individuals facing genuine difficulties have been allowed to request additional time through the FBR’s IRIS system by applying to their relevant field offices.
Data shows that 3.6 million taxpayers submitted returns accompanied by tax payments—an 18.6 percent rise in contributors compared to the previous year. Tax payments from individual filers also saw significant growth, increasing by 15 percent from Rs60 billion in 2024 to Rs69 billion this year.
Officials described the development as a sign of improving voluntary compliance and growing public awareness about taxation responsibilities. The FBR credited the rise in return submissions to its extensive outreach and communication strategy designed to encourage timely filing.
The rise in return filings is the outcome of a comprehensive outreach campaign.https://t.co/xN3t4XsTmN
— Dawn Business (@dawn_business) November 1, 2025
As part of these efforts, the revenue authority conducted a nationwide awareness drive, using robocalls and WhatsApp messages to remind citizens about the importance of filing returns. Nearly 800,000 behaviorally informed “nudge” messages were also sent to taxpayers, progressing from congratulatory notes to information about rights and responsibilities, and ending with cautionary reminders for non-filers.
Additionally, about 70,000 targeted emails were issued to selected taxpayers, comparing their income levels to those of their peers in similar professions to promote accurate self-declaration.
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The FBR acknowledged the cooperation of taxpayers and reaffirmed its commitment to enhancing transparency and efficiency in the tax system. It pledged continued improvements in digital tools, taxpayer facilitation, and communication to foster a fairer and more inclusive revenue framework for Pakistan.
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