Online income tax return filing made mandatory for individual taxpayers
Published: 04 August 2025, 10:34:23
The government has mandated online submission of income tax returns for all individual taxpayers for the 2025–2026 assessment year, starting from August 4, 2025.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) issued a special order on Sunday making e-filing compulsory, as part of efforts to modernize and streamline the tax system.
However, the directive outlines four specific exemptions. The following categories of taxpayers are not required to file online:
Senior citizens aged 65 or above
Physically-challenged or specially abled individuals (with valid certification)
Bangladeshi taxpayers residing abroad
Legal representatives filing returns on behalf of deceased taxpayers
While these groups are exempt, they may still choose to file online voluntarily.
The NBR also acknowledged potential technical issues. In such cases, non-exempt taxpayers can apply to their respective Deputy Tax Commissioners by October 31, 2025, citing valid reasons for being unable to file electronically. If approved by an Additional or Joint Tax Commissioner, those taxpayers may be allowed to file paper-based returns.
The move is aimed at improving efficiency, enhancing transparency, and reducing the manual burden in the tax administration process.
