Written by The Banking Post
The Chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), Md. Abdur Rahman Khan, has instructed tax officials to take strict action against individuals who hold Taxpayer Identification Numbers (TINs) but either fail to file income tax returns or do not pay taxes despite filing.
He issued the directive on Monday (14 July) during a revenue review meeting held at the NBR headquarters in Dhaka.
According to the NBR Chairman, there are currently around 7.2 million TIN holders in the country who do not file returns, and an additional 3 million who file returns but evade tax payments. He emphasized the need to prioritize these 10 million individuals in the 2025–26 fiscal year and collect taxes based on their financial capacity.
The meeting was attended by members of the Income Tax Division, commissioners, directors general, and first and second secretaries of the Income Tax Department in Dhaka. Officials outside Dhaka joined virtually via Zoom.
Abdur Rahman Khan also instructed commissioners to intensify efforts to recover outstanding revenues, reviewed region-wise progress, and sought input on challenges in revenue collection. He gave necessary directions to enhance collection efficiency.
He further emphasized the importance of transferring income tax files to designated zones in line with NBR’s instructions and completing the process within July to ensure hassle-free services for taxpayers.
Regarding tax audits, he stated that audits must be selected digitally and transparently, free from any bias.
“The objective of audits is not to collect tax directly, but to build a tax-compliant culture by preventing evasion,” he added.
To improve return filing rates, the NBR chief directed maximum utilization of manpower to encourage TIN holders to submit their returns.
He stressed, “There’s no alternative to increasing income tax collection to reduce income and wealth inequality, ensure social justice, and finance the state’s operations. Yet, the income tax department repeatedly fails to meet this goal.”
He also noted that income tax collection declined slightly in the last fiscal year compared to the overall revenue growth and urged enhanced field surveys and assessments to identify new taxpayers.
The meeting was also attended by senior officials, including members of the Income Tax Division, the Director General of the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC), and the Commissioner of the Income Tax Intelligence and Investigation Unit.
