Documents to Gather for Your Pakistan Income Tax Return: A Checklist

Most delays in filing are not about tax. They are about chasing paperwork. Use this checklist before you contact your accountant and the return can usually be done in one sitting.

Identity and access

• CNIC and NTN (or your CNIC if registering for the first time)
• IRIS login, or permission for your practitioner to register you
• Mobile number and email registered with the FBR

Income

• Salary: annual salary certificate and tax deduction certificate from your employer
• Business: sales record, purchase record, expenses and closing stock
• Freelance or foreign income: bank statements showing remittances and proceeds realisation certificates
• Rent: tenancy agreements and rent received
• Profit on savings: bank profit certificates and National Savings statements
• Dividends and capital gains: broker or CDC statements

Tax already paid

These reduce what you owe, so collect every certificate:

• Withholding tax certificates from banks (profit, cash withdrawals)
• Tax paid with electricity, telephone and internet bills
• Tax paid on vehicle registration and token tax
• Advance tax on property purchase or sale

Wealth statement

• Bank balances on 30 June for every account, including foreign accounts
• Property: purchase documents and cost
• Vehicles: registration book and cost
• Investments, prize bonds, gold and cash in hand
• Loans taken or given, with agreements
• Personal and household expenses for the year
• Last year’s wealth statement, so the two reconcile

Deductions and credits

• Zakat deducted (bank certificate)
• Donations to approved institutions, with receipts
• Pension fund contributions

The wealth reconciliation is where most notices start. If your assets grew faster than your declared income, the difference needs a documented explanation.

Have the documents but not the time? Send them over and I will prepare and file your return and wealth statement.