The Dhaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) has urged the National Board of Revenue (NBR) to ensure that compliant businesses are not subjected to unnecessary harassment as it steps up monitoring and verification of withholding tax deductions.
In a statement issued on Monday, the chamber said the NBR's initiative to strengthen the monitoring, verification and deposit of tax deducted at source under Section 147(2) of the Income Tax Act, 2023, would make a positive contribution to revenue collection and the expansion of the country's tax base if implemented effectively. The DCCI also said that businesses already complying with tax-at-source obligations should not face undue difficulties during the enforcement of the law.
The chamber also urged the NBR to provide a reasonable timeframe and adequate opportunity for businesses that have yet to achieve full compliance with tax-at-source requirements, enabling them to regularise their affairs without facing unnecessary hardship.
The DCCI maintained that achieving the government's revenue collection targets and broadening the tax base would also require greater automation and digitalisation of the country's revenue administration.
It noted that wider adoption of digital systems would reduce unnecessary burdens on businesses while improving the efficiency, transparency and accountability of tax administration. The chamber said stronger revenue mobilisation and a business-friendly environment could be achieved simultaneously through continued constructive dialogue between the NBR and the private sector.
It also called for coordinated efforts by the government and the business community to strengthen tax discipline and improve overall compliance with the country's tax-at-source regime.
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