Dhaka: National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan today announced that the revenue authority is working on developing an automated system designed to integrate taxpayers’ annual return submission with banks. This new system aims to ease compliance and eliminate the need for taxpayers to collect multiple bank certificates from different branches.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the NBR Chairman shared these developments at a “Meet the Press” event held at the NBR Building conference room in the capital, on the eve of VAT Day and VAT Week. He explained that the system would automatically retrieve essential financial information from banks once a taxpayer enters their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and National Identity Number (NID). The retrieved information will include the balance as of June 30, total profit earned during the year, tax deducted at source on that profit, and charges imposed by banks over the same period.
Currently, taxpayers who maintain several bank accounts have to individually visit each bank to collect these certificates, which often leads to mistakes and creates unnecessary hassle. Rahman emphasized that by automating the retrieval of this information, taxpayers would no longer need to visit multiple banks, and inconsistencies in their submitted figures would be avoided.
Rahman clarified that the system has been widely misunderstood and assured that the revenue authority will not have access to taxpayers’ personal or transactional information. Only taxpayers will be able to view the automatically generated bank data while submitting their returns, and no tax official will have access to it. He further noted that no transaction-level information will be collected through the system, and any request for detailed bank transactions will follow the existing legal framework during investigations backed by credible intelligence.
The new mechanism aims to prevent unnecessary complications, such as the reopening of files due to discrepancies in bank-related declarations. Although the system could not be introduced this year, Rahman expressed optimism that it would be in place before next year. The implementation depends on the strengthening of NBR’s in-house IT workforce to securely connect with the digital systems of all banks.
Rahman urged the media to help dispel misunderstandings and build public trust in the initiative, as their support is crucial for accurate communication. He noted that greater transparency and efficiency would naturally boost tax collection once the system is implemented. The NBR chairman reaffirmed that the goal is to simplify the return-filing process, reduce the burden on taxpayers, and move towards a more modern and automated tax administration to support the country’s development objectives.