The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has asked its field-level offices to explain the reasons behind a record revenue shortfall of nearly Tk92,610 crore in the 2025–26 fiscal year, as collections fell significantly below the revised target.

According to preliminary NBR data, the revenue authority collected Tk410,390 crore against a revised target of Tk503,000 crore, leaving a deficit of around Tk92,610 crore.

The NBR has issued letters to several customs, VAT and excise commissionerates, including those in Dhaka South, Dhaka East and Chattogram, seeking written explanations for their failure to meet collection targets. Similar notices have also been sent to income tax offices.

Officials said revenue collection was affected by global economic headwinds, domestic market volatility and weaknesses in tax administration. They added that the NBR is seeking greater accountability from field offices while stepping up efforts to improve revenue collection.

The letters noted that VAT collections in many goods and services sectors remained well below target, with some sectors reporting revenue declines of as much as 80–90% compared with the previous year.

Lower collections were recorded from sectors including soybean oil, electronics, plastic products, ceramics, steel, construction, jewellery, ready-made garments, hospitals, consulting firms, and catering services.

The NBR has directed commissionerates to identify the causes of the shortfall and submit action plans outlining measures to improve future revenue performance.

Sector-wise, income tax collections reached Tk142,827 crore against a target of Tk186,110 crore, while VAT collections stood at Tk155,940 crore. Customs duties generated Tk111,623 crore, compared with a target of Tk130,780 crore.

The final revenue collection was also below the NBR’s earlier projection, highlighting the government’s mounting challenge in meeting its fiscal targets.