ISLAMABAD — Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday linked the filing of 892,419 new tax returns for tax year 2025 to growing public confidence in the government’s reform and digitisation agenda.
His statement followed the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) announcement that 5.912 million tax returns were filed for 2025 — up from 5.025 million in 2024 — marking a 17.65 per cent increase. The filing deadline for the year ended on October 31.
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In a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, Mr Shehbaz commended the FBR for achieving a historic milestone and thanked the public for their “trust in the government’s economic policies and civic responsibility.” He said the inclusion of nearly 900,000 new filers reflected growing confidence in the government’s reform measures.
The prime minister attributed the improvement to the ongoing digitisation of the tax system, including simplified return filing procedures, Urdu-language forms for salaried individuals, and automated clearance systems at ports aimed at curbing corruption. He highlighted the expansion of point-of-sale systems to reduce sales tax evasion and bring informal businesses into the tax net.
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According to FBR data, individual tax filings rose 18.18 per cent to 5.805 million in 2025, while filings with tax payments grew 19 per cent to 3.599 million. Total tax revenue collected through returns reached Rs69.02 billion — a 10 per cent year-on-year increase from Rs60.15 billion in 2024.
Prime Minister Shehbaz reaffirmed his commitment to further strengthening the FBR, ensuring merit-based performance, and continuing reforms to eliminate corruption and the shadow economy. “We are working day and night to build a fair, transparent, and efficient fiscal system,” he said.