To simplify client service and make it more hassle-free and ensuring more efficient and client-friendly taxpayer services, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed on Sunday called for prioritizing high professionalism and transparency among National Board of Revenue (NBR) officials.
He was speaking as chief guest at a program to inaugurate the Tax Representative Management System (TRMS) software at the multipurpose hall of the NBR in the capital.
“Please provide quick services, dispose of the cases of your clients quickly, and make sure that your clients don't face hassle,” Salehuddin said.
“If you provide services efficiently, people will not hesitate to pay your fees. But if you keep them waiting or push them towards under-the-table solutions, it undermines the trust in the entire system,” the adviser stated.
Terming TRMS as a milestone in the country's economy, Salehuddin said the new system would bring benefits for all stakeholders, including taxpayers, tax practitioners, and revenue collectors, by reducing paperwork, saving time, and minimizing harassment.
Regarding the software made by the NBR officials, he remarked: “Hiring expertise from outside needs spending additional money unnecessarily where hidden interests are also often involved. This initiative (making this software by the NBR officials) proves that we're capable of building efficient systems by ourselves.”
The finance adviser also thanked the team members who worked hard to develop the TRMS, saying that it is a step towards reducing dependency on foreign solutions and ensuring better taxpayer services in the country.
NBR chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan, who presided over the program, said that the TRMS program would mark a major shift in Bangladesh's tax return filing, as the system has been developed entirely by local talents.
“It's truly a proud day for us because this system is homegrown. Our own IT team, who studied in public universities here, built it successfully. They proved that if graduates from our universities can work at Google or Amazon abroad, they can also develop such solutions for Bangladesh.”
He highlighted that tax practitioners will now have their own database of clients' returns, which can be archived, viewed, and printed anytime. This will eliminate the hassles of losing physical files.
He also assured that technical issues would be addressed promptly, as the system was designed in-house.
“This will end discrimination where some taxpayers face audits repeatedly while others never do. Next year, we plan to bring corporate tax online and even launch a mobile app for filing both corporate and income tax returns,” he added.
The NBR chief further explained that NBR is working to connect commercial banks with the TRMS to enable auto-fill of financial information in tax returns.
“Our officers will not access transaction details. The goal is to reduce mistakes and prevent tax evasion,” he clarified.
Key features of TRMS
A presentation was made by the TRMS technical team on various aspects of the system.
This software has been designed to provide scope for the income tax practitioners to submit tax returns for their clients through an online system.
Other details include:
Comprehensive digital registration: All tax representatives are digitally registered in compliance with the provisions of the Income Tax Act.
Secure Online Authorization: Taxpayers can formally grant authority to their chosen tax representatives through a secure online platform.
Centralized Return Records: The TRMS system maintains separate and organized records of all income tax returns submitted by each authorized representative.
Enhanced Transparency: Ensures full transparency in the e-return filing process carried out by authorized representatives on behalf of taxpayers.
User-Friendly Interface: Designed with an intuitive and accessible interface to serve both taxpayers and their authorized representatives efficiently.