Written by The Banking Post
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has introduced a facility that allows large-value tax payments through mobile financial services (MFS), marking a major step in the digitisation of tax collection for corporate taxpayers.
The service, to be demonstrated today at the NBR, will use bKash’s online merchant wallet to enable the payment of substantial tax amounts without the need to visit banks. Officials said the system is designed to speed up transactions and make compliance easier for businesses.
Secretary of the Internal Resources Division and NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan said the initiative would allow corporate taxpayers to settle large tax liabilities through MFS platforms, similar to how many already use such services to pay employee salaries. He noted that companies would now be able to deposit source tax digitally once large-value MFS transactions become operational.
He added that other MFS providers are also eligible to offer similar services, opening the door to broader adoption. The move, he said, would place tax payments “at the fingertips” of taxpayers and further improve the ease of doing business through digitalisation.
Under the new system, withholding tax can be paid through the NBR’s e-TDS platform, while value-added tax (VAT) payments will be processed via the Finance Division’s A-Challan System (ACS), both linked to bKash’s online merchant wallet.
Revenue officials said integrating mobile financial services into tax payments is expected to enhance transparency, reduce transaction time and costs, and encourage voluntary compliance—particularly for high-value payments. It also supports the government’s broader push to modernise revenue administration and expand cashless public financial services.
Previously, tax payments through MFS were subject to transaction limits. Officials said these constraints are now being addressed, making MFS a simpler alternative to bank-based payments. A senior NBR official indicated that charges on large-value tax transfers through bKash are likely to be waived.
bKash Chief Financial Officer Moinuddin Mohammed Rahgir said the company has developed a dedicated tax payment solution for corporate and business users to modernise the tax payment experience. He said taxes, duties and other government levies can be paid 24/7, free of charge, by transferring funds from a bank or disbursement wallet.
The key advantage, he added, is the ability to make tax, excise and VAT payments at any time, without banking-hour restrictions or physical visits. The system is intended to provide corporates with a seamless and convenient way to meet their tax obligations directly from their workplaces.
