Expat Bangladeshis Show Rising Interest in E-Returns

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has reported a strong and growing response to its online income tax return (e-return) system in the 2025–26 tax year, with participation rising steadily among expatriate Bangladeshis despite the service not being mandatory for them.

According to the revenue authority, around 4.553 million taxpayers have so far registered with the e-return system, while 3.188 million have already submitted their income tax returns online for the current tax year.

Under a special order issued by the NBR, online submission of income tax returns has been made compulsory for all individual taxpayers, with exemptions for senior citizens aged 65 and above, physically challenged and special-needs taxpayers, Bangladeshis living abroad, legal representatives filing returns for deceased taxpayers, and foreign nationals working in Bangladesh.

The e-return system for the 2025–26 tax year was officially launched on August 4, 2025, by Finance Adviser Dr Salehuddin Ahmed through the NBR’s dedicated digital platform.

Although expatriate Bangladeshis are not required to file returns online, an increasing number are voluntarily opting for the digital system. The NBR said this trend reflects growing confidence among non-resident Bangladeshis in the country’s technology-driven tax services.

To make the process easier for overseas taxpayers, the NBR has introduced a simplified registration procedure. Non-resident Bangladeshis can apply for access to the e-return system by emailing their passport number, national identity card number, email address and other relevant details to the designated NBR email address.

After verification, applicants receive a one-time password (OTP) along with a registration link via email, allowing them to complete the process and submit their tax returns online from abroad.

So far, nearly 5,000 expatriate Bangladeshis have completed registration using OTPs sent to their email addresses. Of them, about 3,300 non-resident taxpayers have already paid income tax online from overseas and submitted their e-returns for the current tax year.

The NBR also noted that, on average, around 100 expatriate taxpayers are seeking e-return-related services each day via email from abroad. These requests are being handled by the e-Tax Management Unit of the revenue board.

Officials said the active participation of expatriate Bangladeshis, alongside domestic taxpayers, is giving a significant boost to the NBR’s digital transformation efforts and strengthening momentum towards technology-based taxpayer services.

The revenue authority expressed optimism that wider acceptance of the e-return system would help improve tax compliance, reduce administrative complexity and enhance transparency in tax administration.

The NBR has urged all individual taxpayers, including expatriate Bangladeshis, to submit their income tax returns for the 2025–26 tax year by January 31, 2026, through the e-return system, while reaffirming its commitment to further improving and expanding digital tax services to make compliance easier and more taxpayer-friendly.