FBR is Accepting Tax Returns Without Rs. 25,000 Surcharge for First-Time Filers

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has started accepting Income Tax Returns for Tax Year 2026 from first-time taxpayers without charging the Rs. 25,000 surcharge, meaning they will become Active Taxpayers without paying the big fee.

Tax expert Amer Sharif told ProPakistani that a first-time taxpayer’s return was filed recently and the taxpayer’s status changed to Active without paying the surcharge. “This means that if you file your Tax Year 2026 return, your name should be included in the Active Taxpayers List, usually within 24 hours,” he said.

Amer said the confusion has now been removed, as filing the Tax Year 2026 return is resulting in automatic inclusion in the Active Taxpayers List for first-time filers without the Rs. 25,000 surcharge.

The development provides significant relief to individuals whose financial transactions were affected due to inactive ATL status. “This is a major relief for taxpayers whose transactions were on hold due to inactive ATL status. It also clears the confusion about whether filing the Tax Year 2026 return would restore ATL status,” he added.

FBR has officially opened the Income Tax Return filing portal for Tax Year 2026. Taxpayers have until September 30, 2026, to file their returns. Unlike previous years, there are currently no indications that FBR will extend the filing deadline next month.