Pakistan sets procedures for electronic scrutiny of sales tax returns — Dawn

Pakistan’s Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced new procedures for the electronic scrutiny of sales tax returns. They provide for computerized analysis of reporting and notification of taxpayers about identified discrepancies, Dawn reports.

Analysis of returns and data

The new rules were incorporated into the Sales Tax Rules, 2006, through statutory regulatory order SRO 1655 of 2026. The document added Chapter XII-A, which establishes the procedure for computerized analysis and cross-matching of data on registered persons.

The system will analyze returns and other available data electronically, identifying factual or legal discrepancies.

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Time for the taxpayer’s response

Taxpayers will receive preliminary notices through the Inland Revenue Information System, or Iris. This will give them an opportunity to provide explanations or correct errors before any legal or punitive action begins.

The rules stipulate that taxpayers must be given at least seven days to respond to such a notice. If no response is received, reminders will be sent. All notices, responses, and subsequent actions will be recorded on a dedicated information dashboard to ensure transparency and traceability of procedures.