Abdur Rahman Khan, the chairman of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), stated today that the NBR will take a harsh approach against those who failed to file income tax reports.
According to him, the NBR has already given its tax authorities instructions to notify non-filers, gather their bank and other pertinent data, and even check their bank accounts.

“In order to take further action, tax officials are currently trying to determine tax responsibilities,” Khan continued. He said this at the NBR headquarters in Agargaon, the capital, during a pre-budget debate for the fiscal year 2025–2026.

Currently, there are about 1.13 crore taxpayer identification number (TIN) holders at both individual and corporate levels.”Despite three deadline extensions, only 65 percent of TIN holders have submitted their tax returns,” he said.

The NBR chief also hinted at a possible extension of prospective tax measures in response to a recommendation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB).

“There is an allegation of policy inconsistencies in Bangladesh. Now, we are planning to extend the ‘prospective tax system’ for the next four to six years,” Khan said.

In the current fiscal year, the NBR introduced the prospective tax system for two years to enable taxpayers, including firms, to determine their tax rates in advance instead of waiting until the end of the income year.

Additionally, the NBR chairman hinted at a possible reduction in tax rates for land and apartment transfers.

In order to draw in more foreign direct investment, Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, head of the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Bangladesh (ICMAB), underlined the necessity of a thorough examination of tax laws.
Along with representatives from professional associations including the Bangladesh Tax Lawyers Association and VAT experts, Maria Howlader, president of the ICAB, also took part in the discussion.