What Return Filing on Notice Means
If FBR’s tax office has issued you a notice asking you to file an Income Tax Return or submit a required declaration, you respond to it directly through IRIS rather than filing a separate standalone return from scratch. This is different from your regular Voluntary Return filing – it’s specifically tied to a notice the Tax Officer has sent you.
Filing your regular annual return? See our step-by-step guide to filing your income tax return online.
Step 1: Find the Notice in Your Inbox
Log into IRIS and navigate to your Dashboard. Click Inbox, then select Declaration. The notice issued by the Tax Officer will be displayed on screen – this is where any pending notices tied to your CNIC/NTN show up.
Step 2: Reply and Select the Task
Click Reply on the relevant notice. A list of tasks will be displayed – click Select for the specific task related to the notice you received. This opens the appropriate filing interface, which you then complete the same way you would a regular return, following the standard process for entering your income sources and completing each applicable module.
Common Mistakes We See With Notice Responses
- Filing a fresh Voluntary Return instead of responding through the Inbox. If a notice has been issued, the response needs to go through the Declaration/Inbox flow so it’s properly linked to that notice – a separate unrelated filing doesn’t address it.
- Letting a notice sit unanswered because the process looks intimidating. The Reply and Select steps are straightforward once you’re in the right place – the bulk of the actual work is the same income-reporting process as any other return.
- Missing the response deadline stated in the notice – notices from FBR typically carry a time limit, and IRIS itself won’t remind you once that window has passed.
FAQ
Can I file a return in response to an FBR notice?
Yes – select the relevant notice from your Inbox and follow the prescribed filing procedure through the Reply and Select flow.
Where do I find a notice from FBR in IRIS?
On your Dashboard, click Inbox, then Declaration. Any notice issued by a Tax Officer will be listed there.
What if I’m not sure which task to select after clicking Reply?
The tasks listed correspond to what the notice is asking for – read the notice itself carefully, and select the task that matches. If you’re unsure, it’s worth getting a second opinion before submitting, since a notice response often has legal weight.
