The Federal Board of Revenue has added four new parts to the Second Schedule of the Income Tax Rules, 2002, amending the income tax return form for tax year 2026 less than four weeks before the statutory filing deadline.

Through SRO 1495(I)/2026 dated September 2, 2026, the FBR inserted Parts II-ZE, II-ZF, II-ZG and II-ZH after the existing Part II-ZD in the Second Schedule. The notification, published on the FBR's official website, states that the amendments finalise the electronic return for tax year 2026.

What the four new parts cover

The newly added parts prescribe the format of the income tax return for individuals and include schedules for salary income, property income, business income, capital gains, and a summary of economic transactions. The PDF published by the FBR shows the form requires individual filers to provide their National Tax Number, personal details, and income and tax computations for the period July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

The Institute of Corporate and Taxation, in a detailed analysis published September 7, reported that the September notification closed a gap during which taxpayers had been filing on a form that had not been formally prescribed. The draft return had been released earlier through SRO 835(I)/2026 dated May 7, 2026, but the final format was only notified now.

Tax experts criticise timing

Tax professionals have questioned why the FBR introduced changes to the return form so close to the statutory deadline of September 30, 2026.

A tax expert quoted by Business Recorder on September 4 called the late-stage notification "entirely confusing and unjustified" and said it would "create serious legal and technical difficulties for taxpayers and tax practitioners." The expert warned that without immediate clarification from the FBR, submitting returns within the statutory timeframe may not be possible.

Profit by Pakistan Today reported similar concerns on September 4, quoting a tax expert who said the changes could complicate the filing process given the approaching deadline. TaxHelpLine, in its September 4 report, said tax professionals warned the revisions "could make the filing process more difficult, particularly with the September 30 deadline approaching." TechJuice on the same date reported that legal experts had urged the FBR to "immediately clarify the scope and implementation of the latest amendments."

Practical steps for filers

Returns already submitted on the IRIS portal remain valid and are not invalidated by the September notification, according to the Institute of Corporate and Taxation analysis. However, filers with draft returns still in progress should review them to check whether any new mandatory fields have appeared since the September 2 notification.

  • Open your draft return on the IRIS portal and check for any new required fields.
  • If new fields appear, complete them before submission.
  • If you have already filed, you may still file a revised return under section 114(6) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, subject to conditions.
  • Save a PDF copy of each submitted return and the acknowledgement receipt for your records.
  • Plan to file before September 30, 2026. No extension has been notified.

What remains unclear

The FBR has not yet issued a circular or explanatory note detailing the purpose and application of each of the four new parts. Tax experts quoted across multiple reports have called for such clarification. It also remains unclear whether any of the new parts add mandatory data fields that were not present in the draft form that had been available on IRIS since July 1. The FBR's official SRO listing records that SRO 1496(I)/2026 was issued alongside this notification, substituting Rule 231C of the Income Tax Rules, 2002, but the text of that companion notification has not been published together with the main SRO.