For the first time ever, online filing of annual income tax returns of individual taxpayers has crossed the two lakhs milestone.
According to the latest data from the National Board of Revenue (NBR), 204,717 taxpayers filed their returns on online platforms till December 30.
In the last 2021-22 fiscal year (FY), a total of 61,000 returns were submitted online, which means that the number of e-return increased by more than three times in a year.
In percentage, it increased by 235.60% year-on-year (YOY).
Mohammad Jahid Hasan, member of NBR and in charge of Tax Information Management & Service earlier said: “The taxpayers are gradually becoming more interested in submitting returns online since it is very easy and taxpayer-friendly.”
“E-return submission offers various facilities like e-payment while staying at home alongside taking certificates, taking copies of income tax returns and thus applying before the revenue board for extending the timeframe for submitting returns,” he added.
However, NBR launched this year's online return submission facility on October 25.
NBR's online return system allows individual taxpayers to file returns as well as prepare returns. All the calculations are done by automatic calculators.
According to NBR sources, 231,180 taxpayers have prepared returns in the last two months till December 30. Most of them have submitted returns. Officials are hopeful that the rest of the taxpayers will submit returns as well.
During this period, 331,568 people registered for online return submission and others took services from NBR online service.
Returns can be submitted even after January 1
Returns can be submitted from July 1 to November 30 every year. The time has been extended till January 1 this year. Sunday was the last day for return submission.
However, returns can be submitted even after January 1. In this case, a 2% penalty will be added to the regular tax.
Returns can even be submitted after regular time without penalty.
In that case, an application for an extension of time should be made to the concerned tax commissioner.
The application must state a logical reason for which the return could not be submitted.
The taxpayer will be allowed to file the return without penalty only if the application is accepted by the tax commissioner.