Under a special initiative of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), 1.31 lakh unregistered establishments across the country were brought under new VAT registration in December.
NBR conducted this special registration campaign last month to expand the VAT coverage and increase revenue collection from this sector.
NBR observed VAT Day on 10 December 2025 and VAT Week from 10 to 15 December 2025.
The main theme of this year’s VAT Day was— “We will register timely, we will pay VAT correctly.” Keeping this theme in focus, a special VAT registration campaign was conducted nationwide from 10 December to 31 December 2025.
The 12 VAT Commissionerates of NBR conducted surveys and campaigns at the field level every day, including holidays, and in one month, they provided VAT registration to a total of 1.31 lakh establishments, exceeding the target.
Before the interim government took charge, the number of VAT-registered establishments in the country was 5.16 lakh, which has now increased to 7.75 lakh.
Sources at NBR state that among customs, VAT, and income tax, the maximum revenue is collected from VAT. In the last fiscal year, about 38 per cent of total revenue income came from the VAT sector.
The organisation hopes that if the VAT coverage can be further expanded, revenue collection from this sector will increase significantly.
To make the VAT system more effective, the government has already amended the existing VAT law. According to the new provision, VAT registration has been made mandatory if the annual turnover is more than Tk50 lakh instead of Tk3 crore.
Additionally, NBR has launched multiple digital services to simplify VAT registration and management.
These include online VAT registration, filing VAT returns from home through the eVAT system, depositing VAT into the government treasury online, and the facility to receive excess paid VAT directly into a bank account through an automated system. An initiative has also been taken to launch an easy-to-understand VAT return for small businesses.
Aiming to build a self-reliant and prosperous Bangladesh, NBR has sought the sincere cooperation of all parties, including the country’s consumers, businesses, industrial entrepreneurs, and media, in implementing a modern and online-based VAT system.
