How to Check If an FBR Circular, Notice or Email Is Real in Pakistan
Got an FBR circular, notice or email on WhatsApp? See where real circulars and SROs are posted, what to match and who to call before you act or pay anything.
Open fbr.gov.pk yourself and look for the document there. Real FBR circulars, general orders and SROs are posted at fbr.gov.pk/orders and fbr.gov.pk/sros, and press statements at fbr.gov.pk/pr. If you cannot find it on those pages, treat it as unconfirmed.
Fake FBR papers spread fast on WhatsApp, usually just before a deadline. Before the 30 September 2026 tax return deadline, a circular claiming a longer extension was reported to be false, and FBR said it had issued no such circular, as reported. The real extension to 15 October came through Circular No. 3 of 2026-27, covered in our report on the 15 October deadline.
Find the document on the FBR site, not in the forward
A real circular, order or SRO exists on the FBR website. Go to the FBR site by typing the address yourself, then open the circulars page, the SROs page or the press release page. Do not tap a link inside a message.
These are the places we checked on 8 October 2026:
| What you were sent | Where it should be posted |
|---|---|
| Income tax or sales tax circular, general order | fbr.gov.pk/orders |
| SRO or notification (income tax, sales tax, excise, customs) | fbr.gov.pk/sros |
| Press statement or announcement | fbr.gov.pk/pr |
The orders page is split into income tax, sales tax, federal excise and customs sections. The SROs page is split the same way. On the day we looked, the newest SRO listed was S.R.O. 1692(I)/2026.
Read the number, the date and the source line
A genuine circular has a number and a year, such as Circular No. 3 of 2026-27, and a date. An SRO carries a number in the form S.R.O. 1692(I)/2026. Search the FBR page for that exact number. If it is not there, do not rely on the forward.
Look at these four things on the paper you were sent:
- It has a circular or SRO number and a date.
- The same number appears on the FBR page.
- The wording and figures match the FBR copy.
- It was not forwarded as a photo only, with no link to the FBR site.
A photo of a letter is easy to edit. Match every date and amount with the FBR copy, because scammers often change just one number.
Treat unexpected emails and SMS about your tax account as suspect
FBR's own home page carries a warning: "Beware of fraudulent emails - FBR cautions taxpayers against spammers/scammers!" Do not click links, open attachments or give your IRIS password, CNIC or bank card details to anyone who writes to you out of the blue.
If a message says you owe tax, your return is rejected or your NTN will be blocked, log in to IRIS by typing the address in your browser and check your own account. Our guide to checking that your return was filed on IRIS shows what to look for. You can also confirm a business number with the guide to NTN verification.
Call the FBR helpline or ask your tax adviser
If you still cannot tell, ask FBR directly. The FBR home page lists a national helpline, 051 111 772 772, with hours given as Monday to Friday. We did not call it, so confirm the hours on the FBR site. Your registered tax adviser can also check the document on IRIS.
When a notice is genuine, it will also appear in your IRIS account or reach you at your registered address. A notice about a tax audit now comes through the faceless system, which is explained in our report on the National Faceless Centre. Do not pay anyone who offers to settle a notice for cash.
Report a fake FBR document
Keep a screenshot, the sender's number or address and the link they used. Do not forward the fake to others, even to warn them, because it spreads further. Instead, tell them to check the FBR site.
For a scam call or SMS, our guide to reporting a fake call or SMS lists where to send it. If you lost money, see the guide to reporting cybercrime to the NCCIA.
Common questions about fake FBR notices
How do I know an FBR circular is real?
It is posted on the FBR website under orders or SROs, with a number and date that match your copy.
Does FBR send tax notices by WhatsApp?
We found no FBR page saying it does. Check IRIS and the FBR website, and treat a WhatsApp notice as unconfirmed until you do.
Was a longer return deadline announced after 15 October?
Not in anything we read on the FBR site. The extension we verified moved the date from 30 September to 15 October 2026.
Is it safe to click a link in an FBR email?
No. FBR itself warns about fraudulent emails. Type the FBR address into your browser instead.
Who do I call if I am unsure?
The FBR helpline listed on its home page is 051 111 772 772. You can also ask a registered tax adviser to check IRIS.
How we verified this
What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.
Last checked on 8 October 2026. We opened the FBR home page, the orders page, the SROs page and the press release list on that date. The fraud warning and the helpline number come from the FBR home page. We did not place a call to the helpline. The report of a false circular before 30 September is reported in the press and we could not find FBR's own denial on its site, so we treat it as reported. The 15 October extension is covered in our earlier report.
About the author
Public Services and Education Journalist
Fajr Riaz is a journalist and content writer at Pakistan Era, based in Lahore. She covers the questions people meet in everyday life in Pakistan: how a public service works, what a change in the rules means, and where to find a reliable answer.
