FBR Unveils Simplified E-Tax Return 2025

Islamabad, August 20, 2025, 10:10 PM PKT — The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has unveiled a groundbreaking move, launching a simplified electronic income tax return form for individual taxpayers for tax year 2025, finalized via SRO1561 of 2025 after a 40-day consultation post-draft release on July 7, as per official notification. This interactive form leverages an auto-fill system, integrating purchase data, assets, and tax deductions into eight digital windows with single-input fields, guiding users—e.g., entering an employer’s name auto-populates deduction details, while bank accounts and CNIC-linked purchases fill the form seamlessly.

The simplified return targets salaried individuals with rental income and small businesses below a threshold, with higher-threshold taxpayers sticking to standard filings, and a September 30 deadline. Under SRO1562 of 2025, simplified electronic forms extend to salaried individuals, associations of persons (AOPs), companies, and business professionals, boosting transparency, while “Electronic Foreign Income and Assets Declaration” mandates overseas property, income, and asset disclosure for resident individuals. Separate returns cover non-residents, traders, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and salaried taxpayers, with final versions for manufacturers, traders, and SMEs now live, though the Urdu version lags, ending weeks of taxpayer uncertainty. Web context on tax reforms shows past delays, while posts found on X reflect relief mixed with frustration—some cheer simplicity, others note language gaps. Critically, the narrative of “tax ease” may mask implementation flaws—web data hints at system issues, and X sentiment suggests distrust in flawless rollout, pointing to potential hurdles.