National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan has hinted at a further extension of the deadline for filing income tax returns for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Speaking at a “Meet the Press” event held at the NBR building in Agargaon to mark International Customs Day, the chairman indicated that the board would consider the extension as submission volumes increase.
According to Khan, approximately 4.7 million taxpayers have registered online so far, with around 3.45 million having successfully submitted their returns.
The shift to online filing has significantly boosted revenue, collecting approximately Tk430 crore compared to Tk170 crore during the previous year.
He noted that as the deadline approaches, daily submissions are expected to reach between 100,000 and 150,000, necessitating the consideration of a time extension.
Addressing concerns over inflation and revenue, the chairman asserted that the NBR has not increased tariffs on products over the last 1.5 years to drive revenue growth.
Instead, duties on essential commodities such as rice, onions, potatoes, and soybean oil were reduced in public interest, despite the potential loss in revenue.
He clarified that the primary driver behind the rising costs of imported goods, including fruit, is the appreciation of the US dollar rather than taxes or duties.
Khan highlighted that the dollar price has surged by approximately 40%, rising from Tk80–Tk85 two years ago to the current rate of Tk126–Tk127, which has naturally increased import costs.
He specifically debunked misinformation regarding high taxes on fruit, noting that income tax on fruit imports was reduced from 10% to 5%, and duties on dates have been significantly lowered.
The government is currently working towards tariff rationalisation, and a report recommending duty reductions has been submitted to the Chief Adviser.
The chairman explained that Bangladesh will be unable to maintain a high tariff structure following its graduation from Least Developed Country (LDC) status, although some duties may be raised to protect domestic industries.
While revenue targets remain challenging, Khan noted that overall growth is positive, particularly following the implementation of mandatory online returns.
The NBR is moving forward with a plan to split the organisation into two wings: management and policy. Work is underway to finalise the organisational structure and publish the relevant gazette.
Although Khan acknowledged the task is challenging, he expressed optimism that significant progress will be made before the upcoming elections.
