Dhaka: Urging all concerned, including tax officials, lawyers, chartered accountants, and company secretaries, to prioritize professionalism and transparency, Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed today called for ensuring more efficient and client-friendly taxpayer services. “Please provide quick services, dispose of the cases of your clients quickly, make sure that your clients don’t face hassle,” he said, speaking as the chief guest at a program to inaugurate the Tax Representative Management System (TRMS) software at the multipurpose hall of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) in the capital.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, NBR Member Abu Hannan Delwar Hossain gave the address of welcome, while Bangladesh Tax Lawyers Association (BTLA) President Ramiz Uddin Ahmed, ICMAB President Mahtab Uddin Ahmed, ICAB Vice President Md Rokonuzzaman, and ICSB Vice President Mohammad Shafiqul Islam Bhuiyan also spoke at the event. A presentation was made by the TRMS technical team on various aspects of the system, which has been designed to allow income tax practitioners to submit tax returns for their clients through an online system.
Terming TRMS as a ‘milestone’ in the country’s economy, Dr Salehuddin expressed that the new system would benefit all stakeholders, including taxpayers, tax practitioners, and revenue collectors, by reducing paperwork, saving time, and minimizing harassment. He highlighted the usual tendency to rely on foreign consultants and software, pointing out that hiring expertise from outside often involves unnecessary expenses and hidden interests. “This initiative (making this software by the NBR officials) proves that we’re capable of building efficient systems by ourselves,” he added.
The Finance Adviser also urged tax professionals to deliver services promptly and honestly, rather than delaying cases and compelling clients into repeated visits. He emphasized that good services in the revenue sector are crucial for improving compliance and enhancing government revenues. He further stated that the success of TRMS depends on sincere efforts and goodwill from all parties.
National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan presided over the program and remarked that the TRMS program signifies a major shift in Bangladesh’s tax return filing, as the system has been developed entirely by local talents. He praised the system’s homegrown nature and the successful development by the NBR’s IT team, highlighting that the system would benefit both taxpayers and tax practitioners by ensuring speed, accuracy, and digital record-keeping.
Rahman explained that TRMS is integrated with several national databases, including NID and telecom servers, and while there are challenges associated with interdependence, the system is expected to improve with user feedback and training. He also announced plans to make online return submission mandatory this year, which would help NBR introduce automated, risk-based audit selection, and mentioned future plans to bring corporate tax online and launch a mobile app for filing both corporate and income tax returns.
The NBR chairman further elaborated on TRMS’s key features, such as digital registration of all authorized representatives according to the Income Tax Act, authorization of representatives by taxpayers through the online system, and the storage of all returns filed by each representative separately in the TRMS system. He emphasized the system’s user-friendly and simple interface for both taxpayers and representatives and stressed the importance of cooperation from tax practitioners and taxpayers for the system’s success.