ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (APP):Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Domain Team on Monday held an online meeting with the leadership and members of the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) and discussed the income tax return design and ways to further improve the taxpayer experience. The meeting was part of FBR’s ongoing stakeholder consultation aimed at ensuring that its digital systems continue to evolve in line with the needs of taxpayers and …
FBR, KTBA discuss income tax return design, taxpayer experience
ISLAMABAD, Aug 17 (APP):Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Domain Team on Monday held an online meeting with the leadership and members of the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) and discussed the income tax return design and ways to further improve the taxpayer experience.
The meeting was part of FBR’s ongoing stakeholder consultation aimed at ensuring that its digital systems continue to evolve in line with the needs of taxpayers and tax practitioners.
President KTBA Mehmood Bikiya appreciated the FBR’s lightning-speed response in arranging the meeting and commended the team for developing a dynamic, responsive and user-friendly return system.
The discussion confirmed that the system was functioning well, with no technical bugs or major flaws identified.
The exchange centred instead on helpful suggestions and points of clarification, with the FBR team walking members through several features and noting ideas to further enhance the experience in future filing cycles.
On policy matters, the KTBA shared views on the timing of refund applications, the issuance of deemed assessment orders, and the revision of returns. The Domain Team clarified that these fall within existing policy including the 15-day deemed assessment rule and have been referred to the Policy Wing for further consideration.
Both sides agreed that continued coordination on such matters would help align the filing experience even more closely with taxpayer expectations.
The team also welcomed several constructive suggestions for future iterations of the return. These included enabling Excel file uploads to simplify data entry, reviewing the requirement to feed financial data in next year’s return, and adding a system-generated PDF explaining the provisions of law on Residence Status.
The FBR team noted each proposal for consideration and expressed appreciation for the practical, solution-oriented approach that the KTBA members brought to the discussion.
Most remaining points were addressed through live demonstrations and clarifications, confirming that the existing mechanisms are working as intended. The team showed members how to track investment in immovable property, add multiple business capital, declare tax under the relevant sections, and record inheritance property, while clarifying that certain inputs, such as the chassis number for vehicles, remain strictly optional.
These walk throughs helped resolve a number of queries on the spot and demonstrated the depth of functionality already available within the system.
Saud ul Hasan, Vice President KTBA, commended the FBR and its commitment to open, ongoing dialogue with the business community, and expressed satisfaction with the collaborative and forward-looking spirit of the engagement. He noted that such direct interaction between the tax administration and practitioners builds mutual understanding and strengthens confidence in the digital filing system.
The FBR reaffirmed that it will continue to engage the business community and its representative bodies through regular consultation, and that feedback gathered during such sessions plays a valuable role in shaping a simpler, more transparent, and more taxpayer-friendly return system. Both sides looked forward to sustaining this constructive partnership in the future as well.
