Want to know if you are a filer in Pakistan? You can check your filer status by CNIC — your Active Taxpayer List (ATL) status — in under a minute, by SMS, online, or from the official FBR list. Here is exactly how to check your filer status by CNIC, and what to do if you are not on the list.
In Pakistan, your filer status is simply whether your name appears on the FBR Active Taxpayers List (ATL). The FBR (Federal Board of Revenue) is Pakistan’s tax authority, and the ATL is its official record of active filers. You are on the ATL — a filer — once you have filed your latest income tax return by the due date. Being a filer matters because filers pay much lower withholding tax on bank transactions, vehicle registration, property transfers, dividends and more. Checking your status takes less than a minute, and it is free.
This is the fastest way to check your filer status by CNIC in Pakistan, with no internet needed:
ATL 3520212345671.The service works on Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone. If you are registered in Azad Jammu & Kashmir, send AJKATL followed by your CNIC instead. For a company or AOP, send the NTN in place of the CNIC.
To check on a computer or browser:
The result comes straight from FBR’s live records, so it is always current.
FBR also publishes the complete Active Taxpayers List as a downloadable file on its website, which you can search offline. The list is refreshed every week (usually published on Sunday or Monday), so always use the latest version.
Not a filer yet? Becoming a filer is the only way to stop paying the higher non-filer tax on everyday transactions. Filing.pk registers your NTN and files your return for you — 100% online, at prices up to 30% below other portals.
If your status came back Inactive or Not found, our consultants can get you on the ATL quickly and correctly.
The quickest way is by SMS: type ATL, a space, and your 13-digit CNIC number without dashes, and send it to 9966. FBR replies instantly with your status. You can also check online on the FBR Active Taxpayer List verification portal, or download the full ATL from the FBR website.
Open your phone's SMS app, type “ATL” then a space then your 13-digit CNIC (no dashes), for example ATL 3520212345671, and send it to 9966. The service works on Jazz, Zong, Telenor and Ufone. For an AJK-registered person, send AJKATL followed by the CNIC instead. Companies and AOPs send their NTN in place of the CNIC.
“Active” means you are on the Active Taxpayers List and enjoy filer withholding rates. “Inactive” means you are registered but have not filed your latest return by the due date, so you are treated as a non-filer until you file (and, if late, pay the surcharge). “Not found” usually means you have no NTN yet and need to register first.
FBR updates the Active Taxpayers List every week (usually published on Sunday or Monday). After you file your return you normally appear on the ATL within about seven days. If you filed after the deadline, you must also pay the Section 182A surcharge before you are restored to the list.
Yes. Checking your ATL status by SMS or on the FBR online portal is completely free — FBR does not charge for verification. Standard SMS rates from your mobile network may apply to the 9966 message.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Verify your status on the official FBR portal. Contact us for help with your specific situation.