Is e-filing no more a taxing experience?

FBR introduces IRIS 2.0 for achieving greater efficiency

LAHORE (Web Desk) – People in Pakistan do resist, or at least shy away, from paying taxes. The reasons are multidimensional in their nature. However, one of these is the cumbersome bureaucratic process where the intending taxpayer faces huge challenges, ranging from red tape and too much focus on documentation to alleged corruption.

However, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) earlier this week launched IRIS 2.0 – an upgraded version of the tax filing system developed by the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL). 

The move comes as the government is working on enhancing tax collection albeit missing the urgent requirement of expanding the tax base amid a disappointing tax-to-GDP ratio. Moreover, the record-high interest rates and inflation are discouraging business activities with an obvious negative impacts on the collection of direct tax.

However, such initiatives can certainly help gain the people’s confidence and bridge the trust deficit between the state and the citizens who feel the inability to provide even basic services means they can’t trust the government for sharing their hard-earn money.

According to the FBR, the IRIS 2.0 marks a significant milestone with “improved user experience, enhanced efficiency, and cost saving” for the tax collecting body.

Unlike the IRIS 1.0 and its successor IRIS 1.1, the latest version has undergone a major transformation, with focus on robust backend enhancements and an intuitive frontend design, ensuring a seamless experience for both users and the FBR.

It will help enhancing the tax filing operations for achieving greater efficiency, and significantly reducing hardware expenditures. Ultimately, the improved user experience will elevate overall user satisfaction, making IRIS 2.0 a valuable asset for the FBR.

However, the abovementioned observations are the official version and one would have wait and see whether the new system provides the intended service.