ISLAMABAD: The Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has attributed the record filing of 892,419 new tax returns for the tax year 2025 to the public’s growing trust in the government’s economic reforms and digitisation initiatives.
In this regard, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), a total of 5.912 million tax returns were filed for the year 2025, an increase of 17.65 per cent compared to 5.025 million returns submitted in 2024. The deadline for filing returns ended on October 31.
The Prime Minister’s Secretariat praised the FBR for achieving what it described as a “historic milestone.”
The prime minister expressed gratitude to taxpayers for showing civic responsibility and confidence in the government’s economic policies.
Furthermore, Shehbaz said the increase indicates “rising public confidence in the government’s reform agenda.”
He credited the success to ongoing efforts to modernise and digitise the tax system, calling the results “a sign of progress and transparency.”
Moreover, he was focusing on the importance of merit within the FBR, the prime minister noted that competent and hardworking officers are being encouraged, while underperformance is being addressed.
In this sense, the FBR reported a notable rise in individual tax filings for 2025, with 5.805 million returns submitted an 18.18 per cent jump from 4.912 million in 2024.
The tax revenue collected through these filings reached Rs69.02 billion in FY25, up from Rs60.15 billion in FY24 representing a 10 per cent year-on-year growth. The prime minister described this Rs9 billion increase as clear evidence of the reforms’ effectiveness.
However, Shehbaz also mentioned his personal oversight of FBR’s digitisation initiatives, stating that he chairs weekly meetings to ensure transparency and efficiency.
He noted that the introduction of simplified tax filing procedures, automated port clearance systems, and the rollout of a tax return form in Urdu for salaried individuals have made compliance easier for citizens.
