The submission of individual income tax returns will begin in July this year, National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan announced on Thursday.
The earlier start marks a significant shift from last year, when the tax return process commenced in September. This year's timing is aimed at encouraging timely submissions and streamlining tax compliance.
"As of today, a total of 1.7 million (17 lakh) income tax returns have already been filed online," the NBR chairman stated.
He made the announcement while addressing a seminar organised by the Youth Policy Network (YPN). He attended at the event as the chief guest.
"We are working to develop a fully automated revenue system where taxpayers will no longer be required to appear in person at tax offices," he added.
He further mentioned that, as of yesterday, revenue collection amounted to nearly Tk 3.53 billion, and expressed hope for growth in revenue collection during the current fiscal year.
Meanwhile, about 60 per cent of low-income earners (earning Tk 10,000-15,000 per month) skip breakfast, while 3.5 per cent skip lunch or dinner, due to their limited income and high living costs, according to a survey by the YPN.
Around 88 per cent of low-income respondents consume bread or biscuits daily as a cheaper alternative to rice, the survey found.
It also revealed that approximately 70 per cent of low-income individuals believe the value-added tax (VAT) on essential items, such as handmade bread and biscuits, renders them unaffordable, making the existing fiscal policy a significant financial burden.
The Youth Policy Network collected responses from 1,022 low-income individuals-including night guards, security guards, ride-sharing delivery workers, rickshaw pullers, farmers, and day labourers-across 15 locations in and outside Dhaka.
KM Imrul Hasan, head of Research at YPN, presented the findings in his keynote speech.
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