Two-thirds of eligible taxpayers evade tax, NBR boss tells seminar

Chairman of National Board of Revenue (NBR) Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said Monday less than one-third of potentially eligible taxpayers in the country pay taxes.

"We've currently around 40 lakh (4.0 million) taxpayers' identification numbers (TINs). This is not even one-third of potentially eligible taxpayers," he said.

The NBR chief made the comments while speaking at a lecture on VAT and Tax at Canadian University of Bangladesh in city.

Speaking as the keynote speaker, the NBR chairman said retailers also evade taxes at a significant level.

Mr Bhuyian said they will strengthen the tax authority hiring more manpower providing them with training and technology.

"We will strengthen the NBR at a level so that nobody can evade taxes in the country," he said.

The NBR chief noted that private university students should pay VAT to the national exchequer.

Chairman of the university trustee board Chowdhury Nafeez Sharafat, vice-chancellor Mahfuzul Islam and pro vice-chancellor Nazrul Islam, among others, were present at the programme.