The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has launched a comprehensive initiative to identify owners of lands, flats, and buildings across Bangladesh as part of efforts to expand the country’s limited tax base.
The move comes as official data reveals a stark gap in tax compliance. While over 1.15 crore citizens hold Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs), only about 40 lakh actually filed returns, with most declaring incomes below the taxable threshold of Tk3.5 lakh. Current regulations already mandate TIN possession for all property transactions exceeding Tk 1 lakh in city corporations, cantonments, and district municipalities.
The revenue authority has implemented a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen enforcement.
Tax commissioners have received directives to actively pursue eligible taxpayers and revive dormant TINs through intensified surveys. Simultaneously, the NBR is systematically collecting taxpayer information from city corporations, Rajuk, the National Housing Authority for property records, BRTA for vehicle ownership data, BIDA for foreign investor details, and utility providers.
Field offices are conducting “internal surveys” using this secondary data while ground teams perform door-to-door verification in selected areas. The NBR has formalised data-sharing agreements with key agencies including BRTA, power distribution companies, the Department of National Savings, and BIDA to facilitate this process.
“We’re systematically addressing previous gaps in property taxation,” a senior NBR official told UNB, emphasising the comprehensive nature of the new approach.