In an important development, the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to immediately correct any errors discovered in the new version of “IRIS,” which is set to be adopted for filing tax returns next month.
The FTO recently issued an order expressing surprise at the FBR’s release of the new “IRIS” version without conducting adequate testing via a pilot launch, which inconvenienced users.
The updated version of IRIS 2.0 that the FBR introduced was subject to errors and omissions, prompting the FTO to launch its own independent investigation. IRIS 2.0, the new system, was introduced on July 27, 2023, and it promises to be significantly more efficient and cost-effective.
The updated IRIS version, however, contained numerous errors and omissions, about which the FTO received numerous complaints from a wide range of stakeholders.
Without a pilot launch or the necessary testing and quality assurance procedures typically required in software development, it appears that these changes were implemented hastily. Additionally, there are no user manuals available that would describe the changes made to this system.
The FTO has advised the FBR to give its Member (Information & Technology) a 15-day deadline to implement corrective measures and give users of the MIS Tab and Maloomat folder clear explanations/descriptions.
The investigation showed that the updated version of IRIS had numerous mistakes and omissions, which caused users a great deal of inconvenience. After the FTO’s intervention, some errors were fixed, but three of them are still unfixed.
The FTO came to the conclusion that the new version, which broke with accepted procedures and inconvenienced users, was launched through a pilot launch without adequate testing. According to Section 2(3)(i)(a) and (ii) of the FTO Ordinance, 2000, these omissions, departures, and mistakes constitute maladministration.
The FBR has been urged to instruct its Member (IT) to add navigational aids for sensible user journeys within 15 days in addition to the aforementioned recommendations. Additionally, the FBR should give its Member (IT) instructions to streamline the system so that the correct calculation of allowable depreciation can be done in the same amount of time.
Additionally, it is suggested that the Member (IT) remove any sales tax filing options that don’t apply to people who file income tax returns. Additionally, within 15 days, tool tip help for icons like the logout option should be made available.
The FBR has been urged to strictly follow the standard operating procedures for software launches going forward, which call for first announcing new launches, then pilot launches for quality assurance, and finally full implementation. The FTO order concluded that such measures are necessary to prevent errors and omissions that may have a significant impact on the general public.
