Dhaka: The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has reported a 12.90 percent increase in overall tax collection during the first seven months of the fiscal year 2025-26, with significant contributions from VAT and income tax, based on provisional data.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the NBR collected Tk 2,23,638 crore in revenue from July to January of FY26, compared to Tk 1,98,090.13 crore in the same period of the previous fiscal year. The target for this period was set at Tk 2,83,750 crore.
Among the primary sources of revenue, Value Added Tax (VAT) experienced the highest growth, with a 16.45 percent increase, reaching Tk 85,769.45 crore, up from Tk 73,653.66 crore in FY25. The target for VAT was Tk 1,01,274.57 crore. Income tax collection also rose by 13.29 percent, totaling Tk 75,055.06 crore compared to Tk 66,252.42 crore in the previous year, against a target of Tk 1,03,980.09 crore.
Customs revenue, another vital component of government income, saw a 7.86 percent increase, reaching Tk 62,813.52 crore during the same period, up from Tk 58,184.85 crore in the previous fiscal year. The target for customs revenue was Tk 78,496.27 crore.
Despite the overall positive trend, customs revenue experienced a slight decline in January alone, with collections reaching Tk 8,581 crore, a 1.31 percent decrease from Tk 8,694.87 crore in January 2025. The target for January was Tk 13,495.43 crore. However, VAT and income tax maintained strong performances during the month. VAT collections in January increased by 2.57 percent to Tk 15,277 crore, compared to Tk 14,894.31 crore in the previous year, against a target of Tk 20,475.57 crore.
Income tax collections showed even stronger growth in January, rising 7.18 percent to Tk 13,175 crore, up from Tk 12,292.63 crore in January 2025, with a target of Tk 18,574.57 crore. Overall, total revenue collection in January 2026 was Tk 37,033 crore, marking a 3.21 percent increase from Tk 35,881.81 crore in January last year. The target for this period was Tk 52,545.57 crore.
Despite the positive growth in revenue collection, the total revenue collected during the July-January period remained below the fiscal year's target of Tk 2,83,750.94 crore. Officials indicated that the consistent growth in VAT and income tax reflects enhanced compliance and administrative measures, though customs revenue continues to be affected by import trends, exchange rate fluctuations, and overall economic activity.
The government relies significantly on NBR revenue to finance its budget, making consistent growth in tax collection crucial for maintaining fiscal stability and supporting development expenditure.