The government is likely to make registration with eTIN mandatory for people, aged over 25 years, willing to purchase their tickets for going abroad.
If the government implement the plan, no Bangladeshi passport holders wont’ be able to buy any tickets if they don’t have any electronic taxpayers’ identification number (eTIN), according to the officials of National Board of Revenue (NBR).
They noted that the proposal was undertaken to bring more people under the tax net, which is likely to come into effect from the next fiscal.
The decision to float the idea was made following a recent proposal by an economic think-tank to the finance minister.
Finance Minister AMA Muhith on June 4 is likely to disclose the proposal while placing the budget for fiscal year 2015-16 before parliament.
Currently, the number of TIN holders stands at 18lakh in FY15 among which only 10lakh people has filed their tax returns in last fiscal, according to NBR data.
The government in December last imposed 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) on issuance and renewal of passports, but the eTIN is not yet mandatory in case of issuing passports.
“All the passport holders, aged over 25, will be brought under the provision soon after the amendment is made with the income tax ordinance 1984,” said a NBR official.
He also viewed that the government could earn crores of revenue once the provision came into effect.
Earlier, the NBR made the eTIN registration mandatory for obtaining at least 25 services including opening letters of credit, renewal of trade licence, bidding in tender, registration of land and apartment, registration and renewal of vehicle fitness, getting credit card and getting loan above Tk5 lakh from banks and leasing companies, membership of trade bodies and practicing licence of doctors, chartered accountants and lawyers.
