FBR tax notice reply

The proceeding continues without you. Where a return has not been filed, the Commissioner can proceed to a best-judgement assessment based on the information FBR already holds — which will not include any deduction, credit or exemption you never claimed. Penalty and default surcharge run alongside it, and recovery action against bank accounts becomes available once a demand is raised.

Notices are largely data-driven now. FBR matches third-party information — withholding statements filed by your employer or bank, property transfer records, vehicle registrations, utility data — against what your return declared. A mismatch generates the notice, and a mismatch is often a timing or classification difference rather than concealment. That is usually straightforward to answer, provided it is answered.

The period is stated on the notice itself and varies by the section it is issued under. Some allow a matter of days. Extensions can be requested where there is a genuine reason, but they must be requested before the date expires rather than explained afterwards, so the first thing to do with a notice is read the date on it.

Yes, and that is a large share of this work. Where the notice relates to a non-filed year, the reply usually runs alongside filing that year's return. It is more work than a straightforward response, which is why the fee is quoted per case rather than fixed on this page.