B Mirror Report : The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has reported a strong and positive response from expatriate Bangladeshis toward the online income tax return (e-return) system, despite the fact that it is not compulsory for them.

According to an NBR press statement, about 45.53 lakh taxpayers have so far registered with the e-return platform, and 31.88 lakh individuals have already filed their income tax returns for the 2025–26 fiscal year.

The e-return system was officially launched on 4 August 2025 by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed through the government portal www.etaxnbr.gov.bd.

Online submission of tax returns has been made mandatory for most individual taxpayers. However, exemptions apply to senior citizens aged 65 and above, persons with disabilities or special needs, Bangladeshi citizens living abroad, legal heirs of deceased taxpayers, and foreign nationals employed in Bangladesh.

Although expatriate Bangladeshis are not required to file returns online, the NBR observed that a significant number are voluntarily using the digital system. Through email applications and OTP-based registration links, expatriates are able to register and submit their tax returns conveniently from overseas.

The press release noted that nearly 5,000 expatriate Bangladeshis have completed registration on the e-return platform, while approximately 3,300 expatriate taxpayers have successfully paid income tax online and submitted their returns for the current tax year from abroad.

On average, around 100 expatriate taxpayers are accessing e-return-related services daily through remote email support provided by the NBR’s E-Tax Management Unit.

The NBR stated that increasing participation from both expatriate and local taxpayers is playing a vital role in strengthening its digital tax initiatives. It also urged all individual taxpayers to file their income tax returns for the 2025–26 tax year by 31 January 2026 through the e-return system.