KARACHI: Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) has urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to further extend the last date for filing income tax returns up to December 31, 2017 which is expiring on December 15, 2017 for tax year 2017.
KTBA sent a letter to FBR chairman on Thursday informed the chairman that unfortunately all our happiness faded away when our members found from the very next day, after November 30, 2017, that the IRIS slowed down initially and thereafter again stopped completely rendering our members workless and in a hapless position whereby wastage of huge amount of professional hours of our members.
On inquiry it was informed that certain changes were being made in the system to make the same more efficient. However, this situation of improper working of IRIS occurred on and off for instance IRIS worked properly for two days and then was down for a day and vice versa.
It said that on record the date was extended for fifteen days but practically it was felt that it was extended hardly for a week or so, creating uneasiness for our members and increasing their mental torture and frustration.
Needless to say over here that this situation is creating bad name for the FBR and increasing gap between the Bar and Bench as we feel that we both are equally important in the achievement of the common goal of working for the betterment of our beloved Country and increasing the numbers of taxpayers.
The bar further informed that otherwise also the time extended up to December 15, 2017 is not in accordance with the time provided in the statute as already informed and mentioned in our earlier letters which, in any case, needs further extension if justified and to meet the appropriate requirement of the statute.
As such and in view of the above, without any hesitation, the bar has no alternative except to request you to further extend the date of Filing the Returns / Statements up to December 31, 2017.