Received a Late Tax Filing SMS? FBR Says Telco Glitch Caused It

Did your phone buzz yesterday with a stressful notification from the FBR? You weren’t the only one. A wave of panic hit taxpayers yesterday afternoon when a “glitch” caused the mass distribution of incorrect tax filing alerts.

Visual evidence confirms the timeline of this confusing episode.

FBR: The False Alarm

At approximately 04:00 PM yesterday, citizens received an unsolicited text message from the ‘FBR’ sender ID.

The message urgently stated:

Dear Taxpayer, please file your Income Tax Return for FY-2025 at the earliest. The last date to file return is 30th September 2025.

This caused immediate confusion. The deadline mentioned, September 30, 2025, has already passed. Recipients were left wondering if they had missed a critical filing date or if their previous returns were rejected.

The “Correction” SMS

Hours later, the situation took another turn. At around 07:15 PM, a follow-up message arrived on the same thread. This second text retracted the previous warning.

The text read:

Correction: We sincerely apologise, please disregard the previous SMS; it was sent due to a system error. Any inconvenience caused is regretted.

Official Explanation: A Telco Glitch

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has since formally denied authorising the initial panic-inducing message.

Following an inquiry, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) identified the root cause. They confirmed that the messages were transmitted inadvertently due to a technical glitch on the part of telecom service providers.

The FBR is now actively investigating the matter. They have requested the PTA to engage with telecom providers to ensure a timely resolution and prevent future “system errors”.

The FBR maintains that they are always available to assist esteemed taxpayers, despite this digital hiccup.