SCCI demands three months extension in filing tax returns

PESHAWAR: The Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) has expressed reservations over a number of deficiencies in features of e-filing of income tax returns, commonly known as IRIS system.

SCCI President Maqsood Anwar Pervaiz in a statement issued here on Tuesday said the process had caused many difficulties to taxpayers in timely filing of tax returns 2020.

He demanded the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) give a three months extension taxpayers in filing income tax returns for 2020 to facilitate them. The SCCI chief said according to income tax ordinance 2001, the financial year closes on the 30th of June of this year, while the last date of filing of income tax returns has been fixed at 30th September, 2020 under Section 118 (3) of the ordinance.

However, he said, owing to unnecessary delays in uploading of draft return 2020 and delayed final notification of income tax return of this year, besides hitches in the IRIS system, the taxpayers are faced with enormous difficulties in the timely filing of income tax returns.

The SCCI chief said the coronavirus pandemic hasn't only brought negative impacts on the country’s economy, but also it has created severe financial challenges and difficulties for taxpayers as well as slowing down the filling process of income tax returns for this year.

Maqsood Pervaiz said the IRIS system isn’t working smoothly, because of which taxpayers have faced difficulties in filing income tax returns 2020 owing to overloading the electronic system ‘IRIS’.