The interim government has abolished the tax previously imposed on marriage registrations, announced Law Adviser Asif Nazrul during a press briefing at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
“There was a tax imposed on marriage, and the Ministry of Law has now repealed this unreasonable levy,” the law adviser said.
He further mentioned addressing other outdated practices. “For instance, marriage forms previously required a woman to declare whether she was ‘married’ or a ‘virgin.’ This was a demeaning term, so we changed it to ‘unmarried.’ We’ve made several small yet significant changes and have plans to implement more,” he added.
In response to a journalist's query, the Adviser confirmed: “Today (Tuesday), I signed the order abolishing the marriage tax. From now on, you can marry without paying any tax.”
The tax, first introduced in the City Corporation Model Tax Schedule 2016, outlined varying rates for first, second, third, and fourth marriages. Under the schedule, the groom's family was responsible for paying the tax.
Under Section 152 of the schedule, a fee of Tk100 was stipulated for a first marriage or a remarriage after the death of a spouse.
For a second marriage during the lifetime of the first wife, the tax was Tk5,000, increasing to Tk20,000 for a third marriage and Tk50,000 for a fourth marriage. Exceptions applied if the wife was mentally ill or childless, requiring a reduced fee of Tk200.
With this repeal, such discriminatory practices have been brought to an end.