The Federal Board of Revenue has announced an extension of the deadline for filing income tax returns until October 31, 2024.

In a notification issued late Monday, the FBR stated, “In exercise of the powers conferred under Section 214A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, the deadline for filing income tax returns for the tax year 2024—initially set for September 30 and extended to October 14—is now further extended to October 31, 2024.”

This extension comes in response to requests from various trade bodies, tax bar associations, and the general public.

Pakistan is grappling with a tax gap of Rs3.4 trillion, largely attributed to tax evasion and fraud, according to an FBR study.

Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, accompanied by the Minister of State for Revenue and the Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), held a press conference last week to discuss a recent study on sales tax evasion across various sectors of the economy.

Aurangzeb described the upcoming crackdown on tax evasion as a “war against tax fraud,” emphasizing the government’s commitment to addressing this critical issue.