Significant rise in women taxpayers\\\' contribution

Contribution of women taxpayers to the public exchequer has marked a significant rise over the years following their greater participation in businesses and other income generating activities.
Among 10 tax-card winners in 2013-14 five were women.  In 2010-11 only one woman taxpayer was awarded tax card out of ten winners.
Tax card is a status card given by the revenue board every year to the top taxpayers as an honour.   
Tasmia Ambrin, Laila Hossain, Hosneara Hossain, Rubiyat Farzana Hossain, Khawaza Tajmahal have received tax cards in last FY as top taxpayers.
There are three women taxpayers among the top twenty taxpayers of the Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU) under the National Board of Revenue (NBR). Officials, however, declined to disclose their names.
Although there is no compiled data on how many of the total individual taxpayers are women, tax officials found a substantial increase in their number with the rise of successful businesswomen.
Also, young women professionals have proved their skills to hold top positions in different corporate houses.
Academicians too observed a rise in enrolment of female students in business studies.      
Professor Iqbal Ahmed, Director of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), Dhaka University (DU), said the number of female students has increased significantly in the IBA over the past five years.
"Women are increasingly getting involved in businesses as the government has come up with necessary support to facilitate them," he said.
The women entrepreneurs need to build capacity on valuation of products, accounting system and market access of products produced by them to strengthen their position, he added.
According to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Foundation data, some 10 per cent of the country's total women population is involved in businesses.
To facilitate growth of businesses of women, the NBR offers a separate tax threshold or limit for tax-free income for women taxpayers.
The tax-free ceiling for individual women taxpayers is Tk 2,75,000 while it is Tk 2,20,000 for general taxpayers.
According to the available NBR data, it has been found that 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 for district-level women taxpayers.
Talking to the FE, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) first vice president Monowara Hakim Ali said the government's awareness programme to make tax-concept familiar deserves appreciation.
"Women need special support and incentives to grow. Banks and NBR should come forward to co-operate with women to run business smoothly," she said.
Harassment by the tax officials may discourage women entrepreneurs, she added.
Women are usually good lenders and compliant taxpayers, she said.
Apart from the payment of taxes, the NBR data showed a substantial increase in number of women tax-officials in the board and field offices of income tax, customs and Value Added Tax (VAT) wings.
There are some nine income tax commissioners leading different tax zones followed by seven additional commissioners and 17 deputy commissioner of taxes.
The number of field-level tax officials is higher than those of other officials. Some 60 assistant commissioners of taxes (ACT) are working in the income tax offices across the country.
A senior tax official said the number of ACT was 14 until 2011 that jumped to 60 in 2013-14.
However, currently there is no women income tax member and first secretary in the board while customs has one - Jahanara Siddiqui, member (board administration).
Among the customs and VAT cadre officials, there are some 72 assistant commissioners. Some four commissioners, three additional commissioners, three joint commissioners and deputy commissioners are working in the customs and VAT wings of NBR.
A customs official said there were only 10 to 12 officials in customs in 1991 out of 110 officials.
The number increased to 83 now as many women prefer challenging professions coming out from "soft natured" jobs.
Former income tax member Rahela Choudhury said contribution of women in the tax administration is increasing with the rise of literacy rate.
"Will-power is what is needed most to involve women work-force in economic activities," she said.
Challenges should be taken by the women to utilise the money that have been spent on their education, she added.
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