By Commerce Reporter
LAHORE – The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has appealed to the government to extend the deadline for filing income tax returns until October 31, to provide relief and adequate time for the business community to fulfill their national obligation.
Read also: LCCI appeals government to extend tax return filing deadline till October 31
Newly elected LCCI President Faheem-ur-Rehman Saigol, Senior Vice President Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh, and Vice President Khurram Lodhi made the appeal to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, and FBR Chairman Rashid Langrial.
They noted that due to the devastating floods in various parts of the country and other pressing economic issues, a large number of taxpayers are unable to complete the filing process by the September 30 deadline. They stressed that taxpayers should be given sufficient time to ensure compliance without unnecessary stress.
The LCCI office-bearers also highlighted that the FBR’s online filing system is under heavy load, creating additional hurdles and delays. They emphasized that the business community is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy and therefore, the government should adopt a facilitative approach.
They cautioned that failure to extend the deadline may result in penalties and legal complications for honest taxpayers who are unable to meet the deadline due to circumstances beyond their control.
The LCCI leadership urged the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister, and the FBR Chairman to immediately announce the extension of the deadline to October 31to provide much-needed relief to traders and industrialists.
