The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has ramped up its efforts to combat tax evasion and boost revenue collection by issuing new directives aimed at enhancing the operations of its field-level Intelligence and Investigation Cells (IICs).
In an official circular from the Office of the NBR Member (Tax Audit, Intelligence and Investigation), the NBR instructed each tax zone to form dedicated intelligence and investigation teams. These teams will operate under a clear structure, with set operational procedures, reporting frameworks, and an approval process for initiating recovery actions based on their findings, reports UNB.
The IIC teams will launch investigations based on various intelligence sources, including tax evasion complaints, media reports, discrepancies in income tax records, evidence of tampering or falsification, unusual tax-free income declarations, and differences between declared taxable income and assets.
Additionally, the NBR has instructed each tax commissionerate to submit monthly reports outlining the additional tax claims and collections generated through intelligence and investigation activities. These reports must be submitted to the NBR by the 10th of each month.
The NBR expressed confidence that strengthening the IICs’ operations will not only facilitate the recovery of evaded taxes but also discourage tax evasion, fostering a culture of compliance and transparency within the country’s tax system.
Meanwhile, the NBR’s revenue collection for August, the second month of the current fiscal year, still lags behind its target, continuing the trend observed in the first month. In August, the NBR collected Tk 27,174 crore against a target of Tk 30,889.30 crore, falling short by Tk 3,715.3 crore.
However, revenue collection in August 2025 showed an 18% increase compared to the same month last year, with Tk 4,084.5 crore more collected than in August 2024, which amounted to Tk 23,089.37 crore.
Revenue from the Customs Wing saw a decline, reflecting sluggish export-import activities, with a 4.5% drop compared to the previous year. The target for this section was Tk 10,061.35 crore, but only Tk 7,647 crore was collected.
On the other hand, VAT collection exceeded expectations, reaching Tk 11,085 crore against a target of Tk 10,660.20 crore, marking a 33.83% increase compared to the same month last year.
Income tax collections also showed positive growth, with Tk 8,442 crore collected against a target of Tk 10,167.75 crore, reflecting a 24.17% increase from August 2024.
Overall, the NBR’s total revenue collection for July and August 2025 amounted to Tk 54,423 crore, a 21% increase from Tk 45,005.16 crore during the same period in 2024.
