Straight answers, written by the people who file
Each guide answers the question in the first paragraph, then explains it. Written by a licensed Income Tax Practitioner and an advocate, and reviewed when the law changes.
- 6 minute read
How to become a filer in Pakistan
You become a filer by registering for an NTN on the FBR's IRIS portal and then filing an income tax return, after which your name appears on the Active Taxpayers List the following Monday.
Read the guide - 4 minute read
How to check whether you are on the Active Taxpayers List
Send your CNIC number without dashes by SMS to 9966, or search the Active Taxpayers List on the FBR website, and you will be told immediately whether your status is active.
Read the guide - 5 minute read
What is the penalty for filing your tax return late?
Late filing attracts a penalty under section 182 of 0.1 percent of the tax payable for each day of default, subject to a statutory minimum, and your name stays off the Active Taxpayers List until a separate surcharge under section 182A is paid.
Read the guide - 6 minute read
How freelancers and IT exporters are taxed in Pakistan
Foreign earnings brought into Pakistan through proper banking channels are taxed at a concessional rate for IT and IT-enabled service exporters, provided the receipts come through an exchange company or bank and are supported by a proceeds realisation certificate.
Read the guide - 5 minute read
What buying or selling property costs a non-filer
A non-filer pays several times the filer rate of advance tax on a property transfer, so on a transaction of any size the extra tax is far larger than the cost of filing a return and getting onto the Active Taxpayers List first.
Read the guide - 7 minute read
How to respond to an FBR notice
Identify the section number printed on the notice, note the deadline it states, gather the documents that answer the specific query, and file a written reply through IRIS before that date, because an unanswered notice becomes a best judgement assessment.
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