Will FBR Extend the Tax Return Deadline? No Extension as of 30 September 2026

No. As of 4:15 pm on 30 September 2026, FBR has not extended the deadline for filing income tax returns for tax year 2026. The last date is still today, 30 September, for salaried people, other individuals and associations of persons. FBR's spokesperson has told reporters there will be no extension. File tonight if you can.

We checked FBR's website and its list of announcements at 4:15 pm today. There was no notice, circular or press release moving the date. This page will be updated if that changes before midnight.

Below we explain who has asked for more time, who has the power to give it, what happens if you miss tonight, and the one step you can still take today if you truly cannot file.

FBR has not extended the 30 September deadline

The due date for an individual's return is set in the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. For tax year 2026, which covers income from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, that date is 30 September 2026. Companies with a June year end have a later date and are not covered here.

On 29 September, FBR's spokesperson said that 30 September is the final date, according to press reports. FBR has not published that statement on its own website, so we treat it as reported. But the important point is simple: an extension needs an official FBR order, and there is none.

FBR's spokesperson also reported that about 4.88 million returns had been filed by 29 September, against about 3.5 million in the previous tax year. FBR has not published that figure on its site either.

Who has asked FBR for more time

Several trade and tax bodies have asked for an extension this month. Their requests, as reported, differ on how much time they want.

A request is not a decision. None of these bodies can change the date. Only FBR can, as the next section explains.

Who can extend the deadline, and how

We read the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, as amended up to 30 June 2026, on FBR's own download site. Two sections matter.

• Section 214A, for everyone. The Board, meaning FBR, may allow any act to be done within a time it thinks fit, before or after the deadline, "in any case or class of cases". This is the power FBR uses when it moves the date for all taxpayers. It does this by issuing an order.
• Section 119, for one person. You can ask your own Commissioner for more time in writing. The application must be made by the due date, which means today. The reasons allowed are absence from Pakistan, sickness or another misadventure, or any other reasonable cause. The Commissioner can give up to 15 days, and more only in exceptional circumstances.

So if FBR does extend, you will see it as an order or press release on fbr.gov.pk, not as a rumour or a forwarded WhatsApp message. Until then, plan for midnight tonight.

History is not a promise, but it is worth knowing: FBR extended the deadline in every recent year we could check, often on the last day itself. The record of FBR deadline extensions from 2016 to 2025 lists each year and the order used.

What missing tonight costs you

These figures are from sections 182 and 182A of the Ordinance, which we read at source.

1. Late filing penalty. Rs 1,000 a day, or 0.1% of the tax payable a day, whichever is higher. The minimum is Rs 10,000 if 75% or more of your income is salary, and Rs 50,000 for everyone else.
2. A smaller penalty if you file soon. The penalty is cut by 75% if you file within one month of the due date, 50% within two months and 25% within three months.
3. Off the Active Taxpayers List. A late filer is not put on the list for the year unless they pay a surcharge. For an individual that surcharge is now Rs 25,000. It is Rs 50,000 for an association of persons and Rs 100,000 for a company. See our guide to the Rs 25,000 ATL surcharge.
4. No refund while off the list. You also cannot carry forward a loss for that year.

Being off the Active Taxpayers List means paying higher withholding tax as a non-filer on things like property, vehicles and bank cash withdrawals. You can check your filer status any time.

What to do today if you have not filed

1. File now, even a simple return. Use our step by step guide to file your income tax return for 2026 and our guide to the return and wealth statement.
2. Pay any tax due first. Make a payment slip (PSID) on IRIS and pay it through your bank app. Banks have been told to keep branches open until 10 pm today for tax payments, as reported.
3. If IRIS will not load, keep trying at quieter times. Our guide to IRIS being down or slow today has the steps.
4. Take screenshots of every error, with the time showing. If you later ask for a waiver, this is your evidence.
5. If you truly cannot file, apply under section 119 before midnight. Write to your Commissioner with your reason. This only helps if it is made by today.

If you do miss it, our guide on filing after the deadline explains what to do from 1 October. For the full list of dates, see our 30 September deadline guide.

Common questions

Has FBR extended the tax return deadline for 2026?

No. When we checked at 4:15 pm on 30 September 2026, FBR had issued no order or notice extending it. The last date is 30 September 2026.

Can FBR still extend the deadline tonight?

Yes, legally it can. Section 214A lets FBR extend the time even after the deadline has passed. But it has not done so, and you should not wait for it.

Can I get an extension just for myself?

Yes, under section 119, if you apply to your Commissioner in writing by the due date. You need a reason such as absence from Pakistan or illness. The Commissioner can give up to 15 days.

What is the penalty for filing late?

Rs 1,000 a day or 0.1% of tax payable a day, whichever is higher, with a minimum of Rs 10,000 for mainly salaried people. You also pay Rs 25,000 to get back on the Active Taxpayers List as an individual.

Are banks open late today for tax payments?

Yes, as reported. Bank branches have been asked to stay open until 10 pm on 30 September for tax payments. Internet banking and mobile apps also work for PSID payments.

Where will an extension be announced?

On FBR's website, fbr.gov.pk, as an order or press release. Treat any other message as unconfirmed until it appears there.

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 read FBR's website, fbr.gov.pk, and found no extension notice. We read sections 119, 182, 182A and 214A in FBR's consolidated Income Tax Ordinance 2001, amended up to 30 June 2026. The spokesperson's "no extension" statement, the 4.88 million returns figure, the extension requests from trade and tax bodies, and the 10 pm bank timing are reported and were not published on FBR's or the State Bank's own pages that we could open. We will update this page if FBR changes the date.