Overseas Bangladeshis are increasingly filing income tax returns online on a voluntary basis, despite not being required to do so, according to Bangladesh’s National Board of Revenue.
The revenue authority said about 5,000 non-resident Bangladeshis have registered on the e-return system so far using one-time passwords. Of them, around 3,300 expatriate taxpayers have paid income tax online and submitted their returns for the 2025–26 tax year while living abroad.
The National Board of Revenue said its e-Tax Management Unit is providing e-return-related services to an average of about 100 expatriate taxpayers each day, mainly through email communication. Officials described the response from overseas Bangladeshis as encouraging and said it is reinforcing efforts to further expand and strengthen digital tax services.
The authority has urged all individual taxpayers to submit their income tax returns for the 2025–26 tax year through the e-return system by 31 January 2026. Online filing has been made mandatory for most individual taxpayers this year.
However, under a special order, several categories have been exempted from compulsory online submission. These include taxpayers aged 65 or above, physically challenged and special-needs taxpayers, non-resident Bangladeshis, legal representatives filing returns on behalf of deceased taxpayers, and foreign nationals working in Bangladesh.
The current e-return system for the 2025–26 tax year was formally launched on 4 August last year as part of the government’s broader push to digitise tax administration and improve compliance.
According to a National Board of Revenue press release, about 4.553 million taxpayers have registered on the e-return platform so far. Of them, around 3.188 million have already submitted their income tax returns for the ongoing tax year.
The revenue authority noted that although non-resident Bangladeshis are not required to file returns online, a growing number are choosing to do so voluntarily. Officials said the trend reflects rising confidence in the digital system and greater awareness among expatriates of tax compliance procedures.
Expatriate taxpayers can register for the service by emailing their passport number, national identity card number and email address to [email protected]. After verification, applicants receive a one-time password and a registration link by email, allowing them to complete the process and file returns online.
The National Board of Revenue said the simplified registration and filing process is aimed at making tax compliance easier for Bangladeshis living overseas, while also broadening the tax net through digital means.
