Tax fairs were also held in all divisional headquarters, in 56 districts, and in 70 upazilas
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) was able to collect over 10% more in taxes from individuals during this year’s tax fair that concluded across the country yesterday.
There was also a 45% rise in the number of people submitting their tax returns from the same event last year.
Revenue board officials said Tk24,689 crore in taxes had been collected from 487,573 individuals at the event, compared to Tk 22,173 crore from only 335,487 returns in 2017. In addition, 39,743 new e-TIN numbers were issued during the period.
The ninth edition of the fair began across the country on Tuesday, aimed at raising the number of taxpayers and receipts to increase the country’s tax-GDP ratio.
To assist visitors wishing to pay tax at the main fair at the Officers’ Club in Dhaka, organizers had opened 44 e-TIN registration booths, two e-payment booths, 72 return filing booths, 50 help desks, and two emergency health booths.
Tax fairs were also held in all divisional headquarters, in 56 districts, and in 70 upazilas.
A huge response from individual taxpayers was witnessed at the Dhaka fair venue on the concluding day, with NBR able to collect tax worth Tk569 crore from 75,377 returns.
About 260,000 taxpayers were given services on the day, organizers said at a press briefing.
The taxpayers queued up for hours to submit tax-related papers, doing their return submissions, receiving e-TINs and availing online services alongside paying due taxes to the government exchequer through the bank booths.
Taxpayers were seen filing their tax returns sitting on the floor of the fairground due to lack of sufficient sitting arrangements.
“Return submission booths, help booths and bank booths receiving taxes were going through a heavy pressure dealing with enthusiastic taxpayers,” Khalilur Rahman, a banker who had been queuing up for about an hour in front of a bank booth, said.
The income tax fair on Sunday alone pulled a crowd of 227,367 visitors, raising the overall number to 1.376 million in six days of the annual event.
The government earned around Tk1,899 crore in income tax over the six days , a fall from the Tk2,217 crore collected in 2017.
On November 13, a day before the fair started, the NBR awarded tax cards to 76 individuals, 54 organizations, and 11 other entities in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the national exchequer in the last fiscal year.
On Monday evening, NBR Chairman M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan presided over the fair’s closing ceremony at the Officers’ Club premises.
Source: Dhaka Tribune.
