Women are becoming taxpayers in an increasing number, constituting around 16 per cent of the total registered payers of income tax in the country, according to the latest official count.
The number of Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN)-registered women taxpayers in the country was 315,831 out of total 19,63,331 until June 2016, according to the data available with the National Board of Revenue (NBR).
Although the percentage is still insignificant in terms of number, but tax officials said they had noticed an upward trend in the number of women taxpayers during the last few years.
Officials said the NBR for the first time compiled the number of women paying tax across the country.
"We cannot compare the latest statistics or assess the growth in the women taxpayers as the NBR does not have any previous data," said a senior income tax official.
However, taxmen can see the overall growth in the number of women taxpayers along with the number of top taxpayers and tax cardholders who receive national awards for payment of large amounts of tax.
The NBR found some 40 to 50 per cent of the tax card-winning taxpayers as women.
Recently, the NBR prepared a draft tax card policy by amending the existing one. In the policy, it has kept a provision of awarding at least five women taxpayers with the tax card.
Among 10 tax-card winners in 2013-14 five were women.
In 2010-11, there was a single lady taxpayer awarded tax card, out of ten awardees.
Tax card is a status card given by the revenue board every year to top taxpayers as a token of honour.
According to the available NBR data, the number of women individual taxpayers in nine city corporations who have received award from the NBR as top taxpayers doubled in 2013-14 compared to that of the previous year.
However, the number remains steady in case of the district-level women taxpayers.
Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) first vice-president Monwara Hakim said women need government support to become successful entrepreneurs and a good taxpayer.
"New women entrepreneurs need at least five years' tax-holiday facility to run a business successfully," she said.
Separate industrial park, project loan, easy-term loan, effective policy support can help women become confident and take risks of non-traditional businesses, she added.
Kaniz Almas Khan, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Managing Director (MD) of Persona, said taxpayers need a visible outcome to feel encouraged on payment of tax.
"I pay tax regularly and receive honour from the government. The government can think about offering a social status in the form of award," she said. The businesswoman also suggested building awareness among the women having taxable income on payment of tax.
The NBR has taken a number of steps to encourage the women taxpayers. Tax-free income ceiling for the individual women taxpayers is Tk 300,000 whereas it is Tk 250,000 for other taxpayers.
At the income tax fair, the NBR arranged separate booths for women to facilitate them to fill up and submit income-tax returns. The NBR provides services to the women taxpayers separately at the tax- service centres.
There are nine spots where tax-information and-service centres are located. The NBR opened the centres with the support of the DFID under TACTS project.
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