FBR clarifies news related to number of tax filers

Mar 05, 2020: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Thursday clarified a news item published in a section of press relating to actual number of tax returns filed in Tax Year 2019 and Tax Year 2018.

The board in a statement clarified that number of tax returns filed in Tax Year 2018 till February 28, 2019 were 1,695,560 whereas the number of tax returns filed in Tax Year 2019 till February 28, 2020 were 2,472,609 which showed an increase of 45 percent as compared to corresponding month in the last tax year.

The board further stated that the date for filing tax returns were extended in Tax Year 2018 and the last date for filing tax returns was set as August 9, 2019.

The news items depicted the comparison of tax returns filed till the last date of Tax Year 2018 with last date of Tax Year 2019, which gave the perception that the actual tax returns filed in Tax Year 2019 have decreased compared to Tax Year 2018.

FBR has further added that the total period from the last date of Tax Year 2018 till last date of Tax Year 2019 consists of almost six months.

This period of six months for Tax Year 2019 is comparably very short with that of Tax Year 2018, it said adding the number of Tax Returns 2,472,609 filed in six months for Tax Year 2019 shows great achievement of FBR.

The people continue to file tax returns to come on active Taxpayers List even after last date but the returns can only be filed by paying surcharge after the set last date.

APP