Expatriate Bangladeshis showing strong response to e-return

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) on Monday said that expatriate Bangladeshis are showing a strong and encouraging response to the online income tax return (e-return) system, even though it is not mandatory for them.

According to an NBR press release, around 45.53 lakh taxpayers have registered in the e-return system so far, while 31.88 lakh taxpayers have already submitted their income tax returns for the 2025-26 tax year.

The e-return system was formally inaugurated on 4 August 2025 by Finance Adviser Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed through the official portal www.etaxnbr.gov.bd.

The NBR has made online return submission compulsory for most individual taxpayers, with exemptions for senior citizens aged 65 and above, persons with disabilities or special needs, Bangladeshi taxpayers residing abroad, legal representatives of deceased taxpayers, and foreign nationals working in Bangladesh.

Although expatriate Bangladeshis are exempted from mandatory online filing, the NBR noted that many are voluntarily using the digital platform. By applying via email and receiving OTP-based registration links, expatriate taxpayers are able to register and submit their income tax returns from abroad with ease.

The release said that nearly 5,000 expatriate Bangladeshis have already completed registration in the e-return system, while about 3,300 expatriate taxpayers have successfully paid income tax online and submitted their returns for the current tax year from overseas.

On average, around 100 expatriate taxpayers per day are availing e-return-related services remotely through email support provided by the NBR’s E-Tax Management Unit.

The NBR said the growing participation of expatriate Bangladeshis, along with domestic taxpayers, is significantly boosting its digital tax service initiatives. It urged all individual taxpayers to submit their income tax returns for the 2025-26 tax year by 31 January 2026 using the e-return system.