ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) witnessed a major administrative shake-up as 80 senior officers were abruptly transferred and posted across the country.

Directors General and Collector Commissioners at major tax centers and customs formations in Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar have been replaced.

According to official notifications, senior officers in BS-19, 20, and 21 grades have been directed to immediately implement the orders.

The sudden nationwide reshuffle was announced on Tuesday, November 11, with all officers instructed to submit their charge-taking reports to FBR headquarters without delay.

Earlier, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) had made it mandatory for all taxpayers paying Rs500,000 or more in taxes to register with the authority.

According to an official notification (SRO) issued on Tuesday, individuals or businesses paying Rs500,000 in taxes, as well as withholding agents handling transactions worth Rs500,000 or above, must now be registered with the FBR.

Active Taxpayers List for 2025:

The FBR also clarified that the Active Taxpayers List (ATL) for 2025 will be based on income tax returns filed for the tax year 2024.

Rejecting reports that many taxpayers were declared inactive, the FBR termed such claims “baseless and misleading.” It confirmed that taxpayers who requested filing extensions on time have already been added to the active list.

E-Filing Now Mandatory:

The tax authority further announced that manual submission of tax returns has been permanently discontinued. All returns must now be filed electronically through the FBR’s online portal.

Taxpayers who filed manually last year have been given a one-month grace period to switch to the e-filing system. Those who haven’t filed yet can still apply for an extension online until November 15, the FBR added.