The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has so far received 5.5 million income tax returns, with nearly 33 percent of them declaring zero or negligible income.
Interestingly, the FBR has discovered that around one million taxpayers have reported lower income this fiscal year compared to the previous year, raising concerns within the tax authority. As a result, the FBR is preparing a large-scale audit plan to detect potential tax evasion.
A senior FBR official said the authority has identified 977,000 returns showing lower income compared to the previous fiscal year, with some exporters even reporting losses. The official added that the FBR will issue notices to these taxpayers after the October 31, 2025, deadline, asking them to revise their returns, and will take legal action if they fail to comply.
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Of the 5.5 million returns received so far, more than 1.7 million declare zero or nominal income. However, officials noted that even these returns have provided valuable data that will help expand the tax base and convert such information into taxable income.
According to a report, the FBR has sent three reminder messages to return filers, one of which served as a warning to file on time. After the October 31 deadline, the tax authority plans to issue “notice-style messages” to all taxpayers who declared lower income than last year.
To carry out this initiative effectively, the FBR has engaged 2,000 auditors to conduct a comprehensive audit for the current fiscal year.
Via Jang
