Islamabad: The Federal Board of Revenue has launched the National Faceless Centre (NFC) in Islamabad, marking a significant shift in the process of tax audits and assessments in Pakistan. The decision was made by the Board in Council during a recent meeting. This development aims to eliminate direct interactions between taxpayers and tax officers, introducing a more streamlined and impartial system.

According to Press Information Department, the new system will utilize a computerized, risk-based selection process for audit cases, which will then be assigned automatically to officers located across the country. This arrangement ensures that taxpayers remain unaware of which officer is handling their case, and officers have no influence over case assignments. Each case will be independently managed by three officers: one for conducting the audit, another for assessment, and a third for quality review, ensuring no single officer has control from start to finish.

All communications, including notices, replies, and hearings, will be conducted electronically via FBR’s IRIS system. Physical verifications or recoveries, when legally required, will be managed by a separate field team. The NFC is authorized by the Finance Act of 2026 and will be led by a Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, supported by specialized wings for faceless audits, assessments, quality control, and field operations. A Programme Management Unit has been established to oversee this transition.

The reform aims to ensure uniformity in tax rules, data-driven decisions, and mitigate personal judgment, addressing longstanding complaints about face-to-face interactions. FBR anticipates that the NFC will enhance the speed, fairness, and transparency of tax proceedings for taxpayers nationwide.