ISLAMABAD : No decision has been taken so far to extend the date for filing income tax returns therefore taxpayers must not delay filing their income tax returns, an FBR official said Wednesday. The last date for filing returns is 30th September and those who cannot file returns till due date should pay estimated tax to get an extension, said Chief Commissioner, Inland Revenue, Regional Tax Office Rawalpindi Dr Hamid Atiq Sarwar. He said that the taxpayers who failed to file returns but deposited some tax will get a chance to adjust it later and they would an extension of fifteen days as the Income Tax Ordinance has provided these powers to the Chief Commissioners. The FBR official said this while talking to a delegation of Rawalpindi Islamabad Tax Bar Association (RITBA) led by its president Syed Tauqeer Bukhari who was accompanied by Faraz Fazal Sheikh, Naeemul Haq, Zahid Shafique, Syed Tanseer Bukhari, Sofia Akhtar, Hassan Raza, Khalid Masood and Tauseef Alam.

Dr Hamid Atiq Sarwar said that the names of late filers and those who failed to pay a part of income tax would be removed from the active taxpayer's list (ATL) and they would be able to include their names in the ATL by March, next year.

Late filers will be treated as non-filers and they would not be able to avail benefits of reduced withholding tax rates for the next six months, he added.

He said that if the government decides to extend the date for filing returns, it would be requested to make it applicable to only those who deposited estimated tax.

At the occasion, Syed Tauqeer Bukhari and other tax consultants assured all-out cooperation and promised to tell their clients to submit returns in time.

A committee comprising tax officials and consultants was also formed to find ways and means to broaden the tax net.