The national income tax fair 2015 ended yesterday after enjoying a huge response from taxpayers with a record revenue collection.
The seven-day fair managed to collect Tk2,035.32 crore as income tax, compared to Tk1,675.31 crore last year.
The National Board of Revenue organised the fair for the sixth consecutive year as an effort to expand tax net and increase revenue collection.
A record number of people received service and submitted income tax returns in the fair held across the country.
According to the NBR data, around 758,000 visitors received services compared to 649,000 last year and 161,000 submitted returns.
The last day’s collection only was Tk394.35 crore through income tax returns submitted by 38,205 taxpayers, while 107,185 people received services on the day.
In Chittagong, the fair collected Tk482.56 crore, increasing from Tk353 crore last year.
The first income tax fair held in 2010 was able to collect only Tk40 crore in the port city, our Chittagong correspondent reports.
The increase is more than 12 times in five years.
“Availability of easy service and awareness campaigns helped the fair get huge response,” said Kazi Emdadul Haque, Chittagong taxes zone (appeal) commissioner and convener of Chittagong Income Tax Fair 2015.
The special feature of the fair, which attracted the crowd to income tax fair, was its one-stop services including registration of electronic taxpayers identification number (eTIN), submission of income tax returns and online payment facilities.
The fair was organised in divisional headquarters for all seven days and in district headquarters for four days.
For the first time this year, the board organised the fair in 86 upazilas of 49 districts.
This was to raise awareness among people about significance and benefits of paying taxes.
Of the upzalias, 29 held it for two days and 57 for one day.
This year the NBR set up exclusive booths for value-added tax and customs.
The Department of National Savings also rendered services opening their own booths.
State-owned Sonali Bank and Janata Bank set up booths to help taxpayers make financial transactions at the fair.
Earlier, NBR Chairman Nojibur Rahman said the tax fair had received huge supports and attention from taxpayers which was beyond their expectation.
“We hope this will help us reach our revenue target [for the fiscal]”, he said.
Since the fair was closing yesterday, there were much more people than any other day standing in the long queues at Dhaka’s Officers Club venue. Many people were still seen waiting even after the regular closing time of 5:00 pm.
The NBR organised a closing ceremony at the Officers Club venue, attended by Law Minister Anisul Haque.
He said the fear related to paying taxes among taxpayers would gradually disappear as income tax fairs were raising awareness.
He said the government was working to introduce a new income tax law by next year, which would be an “easy and pro-people” law.
NBR chairman said the board was planning to organise another income tax fair at the beginning of winter.
“There is an instruction from finance minister to organise a fair at the outset of winter, and we are planning accordingly,” he said.
He said: “It is important not to keep the service limited to a week [of fair] only, rather it should be throughout the year.”
State Minister for Finance MA Mannan also spoke at the function.