FBR IRIS Down or Slow on Deadline Day: What to Do Before Midnight

FBR's IRIS portal has been slow and failing for many people on 30 September 2026, the last day to file income tax returns. The likely reason is simple: millions of people are trying to log in and submit at the same time. FBR has not extended the deadline, so keep trying at quieter hours, save your work often, and take screenshots of every error.

We tested IRIS ourselves at 4:14 pm today. The login page at iris.fbr.gov.pk opened every time, in about one second or less, and the payment slip page also opened. So the site is not fully offline. The trouble people report comes after login: pages that hang, forms that time out, and returns that will not submit.

Why IRIS is slow or not responding today

FBR has not given a technical reason for today's problems. On 16 September its spokesperson account on X said taxpayers were "facing intermittent problems on IRIS portal" and that its teams were working on it, according to press reports.

The timing points to heavy load. FBR's spokesperson reported about 4.88 million returns filed by 29 September, against about 3.5 million the year before. Every one of those filers, plus the people still to file, is using one portal, and a large share of them leave it to the last day. When too many requests arrive at once, a website slows down, drops sessions or stops answering. That is what "not responding" usually means.

This year's return is also new. FBR changed the return form for tax year 2026 through S.R.O. 1495(I)/2026, so many people are filling in unfamiliar screens, which takes longer. Our guide to IRIS 2.0 login errors and the new form covers the common errors one by one.

What each IRIS problem means

What to do step by step if IRIS will not work

1. Use a computer and one browser tab. Opening IRIS in many tabs adds load and can confuse your session. Chrome or Edge on a laptop works best.
2. Save after every screen. FBR's own IRIS FAQs say a session closes after 15 minutes without activity. Save the draft so you do not lose what you typed.
3. Try at quieter hours. Early morning and late night have fewer users. Today, the hours before midnight will be the busiest of the year, so the earlier you try the better.
4. Do not press submit twice. If the page hangs after you submit, open the completed tasks or return status first. A return may already be filed.
5. Pay any tax due through your bank app. Make the payment slip (PSID) on IRIS, then pay through internet banking or a mobile app, which stay open. Bank branches were asked to stay open until 10 pm today for tax payments, as reported.
6. Screenshot every error with the time showing. If you miss the deadline because of IRIS, this is your evidence when you ask for relief.
7. Call FBR's helpline. The number is 111 772 772. FBR's FAQs say it is staffed from 9 am to 11 pm, Monday to Friday. Today is a Wednesday. You can also email helpline@fbr.gov.pk.

If IRIS stops you filing by midnight

A slow portal does not change the law. The deadline stays 30 September unless FBR issues an order. We read the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 on FBR's own site, and it gives two ways out.

• Ask for more time today, under section 119. Write to your Commissioner before the deadline passes. "Any other reasonable cause" is one of the allowed reasons. The Commissioner can give up to 15 days.
• FBR can extend for everyone, under section 214A. It can do this even after the date has passed. It has not done so. See our live update on the deadline extension.

If you still miss it, the penalty is Rs 1,000 a day or 0.1% of tax payable a day, whichever is higher, with a Rs 10,000 minimum for mainly salaried people. It is cut by 75% if you file within a month. You also pay a Rs 25,000 surcharge to get back on the Active Taxpayers List.

What not to do while IRIS is down

• Do not give your IRIS password to a stranger who offers to file for you "through a back door". There is no other portal.
• Do not trust a forwarded message saying the deadline is extended. Check fbr.gov.pk.
• Do not use lookalike websites. The real addresses are iris.fbr.gov.pk and fbr.gov.pk.

Common questions

Is FBR IRIS down right now?

Not fully. At 4:14 pm on 30 September 2026 the login page and payment page opened for us in about one second. Many users report slow pages and failed submissions after login.

Why is IRIS not responding?

FBR has not given a reason. The most likely cause is load, with millions of people filing on the last day. FBR acknowledged "intermittent problems" on 16 September, as reported.

Will FBR extend the deadline because IRIS is down?

It has not so far. It has the power to under section 214A. Plan to file tonight.

What is the best time to file on IRIS?

Early morning or late at night, when fewer people are online. On deadline day, the earlier the better.

What is the FBR helpline number?

111 772 772, from 9 am to 11 pm, Monday to Friday, according to FBR's FAQs. The email is helpline@fbr.gov.pk.

I submitted but saw an error. Is my return filed?

Check before you submit again. Look at your completed tasks on IRIS. If the return shows there, it has been filed. Keep a screenshot either way.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked at 4:15 pm PKT on 30 September 2026. We tested iris.fbr.gov.pk, its login page, the payment page and fbr.gov.pk three times each; all answered normally. We read FBR's IRIS FAQs for the 15 minute session limit and the helpline hours, and sections 119, 182, 182A and 214A of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 on FBR's site. FBR's 16 September statement on X, the 4.88 million returns figure and the 10 pm bank timing are reported; FBR has not published them on its website. We could not test logged-in filing, so the problems after login are as reported by users and tax bodies.