Tax fair kicks off today

A countrywide tax fair begins today to facilitate taxpayers to gather knowledge on tax matters and complete tax-related formalities including return submissions.

The fair will take place between November 1 and November 7 in all divisional cities including Dhaka, where it will be held in the under-construction headquarters for the National Board of Revenue in Agargaon.

During the period, the show will also take place in district towns for four days and in 29 upazilas for two days. The NBR will also hold the show in 57 upazilas through mobile vans. 

“The income tax fair has already turned into an annual congregation of taxpayers,” NBR Chairman Md Nojibur Rahman said at a press meet yesterday.

“It has attracted attention of people not as a symbol of tax collection but as a reflection of people-oriented tax administration.”

This year, apart from giving tax-related assistance, the NBR will transport taxpayers by shuttle bus to the venue from 9am through to the evening from four spots in the city: Mirpur 2, Rajlakhmi Uttara, Officers' Club and Dhaka University.

There will be arrangement for taxpayers to file tax returns online, which will be launched today at the show, likely to be inaugurated by Finance Minister AMA Muhith.

This will be the seventh tax fair, which was introduced to motivate people to pay taxes and create a tax culture in a country where less than 1 percent of population submits returns regularly.

The popularity of tax fair has been rising as the show enabled taxpayers to get assistance, submit returns and get receipts.

Last year, the number of service recipients at the fair surged to 7.57 lakh. Some 1.61 lakh returns were received at the show, up from 1.49 lakh the previous year.

The NBR said there will a separate booth for every tax zone of Dhaka at the fair at Agargaon.

Dedicated booths will be at the event venue to provide services to physically challenged persons, elderly and women.

As in the past, taxpayers will also get assistance to prepare their income tax returns for 2016-17, pay tax through bank booths and submit returns.

The NBR said it has increased the number of booths this year to provide better services.

People will also get the scope to open taxpayer identification numbers at the fair.

At present, 12 lakh individuals file returns though more than 17 lakh people hold taxpayer identification numbers.

At the press meet, the tax authority also unveiled the names of the country's 100 top individual taxpayers in fiscal 2015-16. Md Kauch Mia topped the list.

The NBR also disclosed a list of top 100 women taxpayers for the year, where Khaza Tajmahal came first.

Of the 100 highest taxpayers under 40 years of age, Kabir Hossain Shimul came on top.

The names of the highest taxpayers were published to encourage others to pay tax and become compliant, said Rahman, also a senior secretary at the finance ministry's internal resources division.

Rahman said the NBR will honour more taxpayers this year to inspire and motivate others to pay tax.

This year, 125 taxpayers will get the privilege cards in various categories, including women and fresh taxpayers.

Until last year, only the top 10 individual taxpayers and 10 companies were honoured with tax cards.

The cards will be handed out in the middle of November.

Rahman said the deadline for submission of income tax returns is November 30 this year and it will not be extended.

To facilitate taxpayers to submit returns, the NBR will observe a tax week from November 24 to November 30, he said.

Md Abdur Razzaque, member of tax administration and human resource management, also spoke.