How to file tax return on IRIS 2026: step-by-step for salaried people before 31 October

The deadline to file your income tax return for tax year 2026 is Friday, 31 October, two days away. The FBR has already extended it twice, from 30 September to 15 October and then to 31 October, citing requests from trade bodies and tax bar associations, and it has not announced another extension.

If you are salaried, the return is simpler than it looks. Here is how to do it on IRIS in one sitting.

Do I need to file?

You must file if your taxable income for the year (1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026) was above Rs600,000, which is Rs50,000 a month. You also need to file if you own a car above 1,000cc, a house or plot of 500 square yards or more, or a flat in a city, whatever your income. Being on the Active Taxpayers List (ATL) also means lower withholding tax on bank transactions, property and vehicles.

What to keep ready

• Your CNIC, plus a mobile number registered in your own name and an email you can open
• Your salary certificate from your employer (annual tax deduction certificate)
• Withholding tax certificates, for example from your bank, and records of tax paid on mobile, internet and your car’s token tax
• A list of what you owned and owed on 30 June 2026
• A rough figure for household expenses for the year
• Last year’s return, if you filed one

Step by step on IRIS

1. Register (first time only). Go to iris.fbr.gov.pk and choose registration for unregistered persons. Enter your CNIC without dashes, name, mobile and email, then the codes sent by SMS and email. Log in and complete Form 181 with your address, income source and employer’s name and NTN. Your CNIC becomes your NTN.
2. Open the return. Log in, go to Declaration, choose the income tax return and select the 2026 period. If more than half your income is salary, pick Form 114(I), the simplified return.
3. Enter your salary and the tax deducted, exactly as shown on your salary certificate.
4. Check other tax paid. IRIS pre-fills some withholding tax; add anything missing from bills and certificates.
5. Fill the wealth statement. List assets, liabilities and personal expenses. Opening assets plus income minus expenses must equal closing assets.
6. Fix the “unreconciled amount”. Any gap shows up here and must be zero before you can submit.
7. Click Calculate. The result will be nil, a refund or tax payable.
8. Pay if needed. Create a payment slip (PSID) in IRIS, pay through your bank and enter the CPR number from the receipt.
9. Submit. Check the unreconciled amount is zero, click Submit, enter your PIN and download the acknowledgement.

How to check you are on the ATL

Send “ATL”, a space and your 13-digit CNIC to 9966, or search the ATL section of the FBR website. New returns appear on the list after it is next updated.

Tips that save time

• Save often. Auto-save has been removed from IRIS this year, so a timeout can wipe your entries.
• Work off-peak. The portal slows down sharply in the last days; late night or early morning is better.
• Keep your figures in a notebook or spreadsheet before you start typing.
• Screenshot any error and take it to the FBR helpline or a tax practitioner.

What if I miss 31 October?

You can still file late, but you will not appear on the ATL until you pay a surcharge, which is Rs25,000 this year, up from Rs1,000 last year. Penalties for hiding assets or giving misleading information have also gone up. With the FBR reporting 6.9 million returns received by 15 October, the queue on the portal will only get longer this week.