Income tax return deadline extended to Jan 31

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has extended the deadline for individual taxpayers to submit their income tax returns by another month, pushing the cut-off date to Jan 31 for the 2025–26 tax year.

The latest extension was announced in an order issued by the NBR on Sunday. The deadline had originally been set for Nov 30, before being extended to Dec 31.

For the current tax year, filing returns online has been made mandatory. However, the requirement has been eased for several groups, including taxpayers aged 65 and above, people with disabilities or special needs, Bangladeshis living abroad, legal representatives filing on behalf of deceased taxpayers, and foreign nationals working in Bangladesh.

These taxpayers can still file e-returns if they wish to do so. Taxpayers can currently submit income tax returns online without uploading any supporting documents, with the system providing an automatic electronic acknowledgement as soon as tax is paid through banks or mobile financial services.

The NBR has also set up a dedicated call centre to assist taxpayers facing difficulties with e-returns. Support is available by calling 09643-717171, while additional help can be accessed through e-return help desks operating in all tax zones across the country.

As of Saturday, around 2.89 million taxpayers had filed their returns in the current tax year, according to the NBR.

Last year, after several deadline extensions, Feb 15 was set as the final date for individual taxpayers. Even after the deadline, returns can still be submitted by paying a penalty.

Under the Income Tax Act, taxpayers who fail to file within the specified time will be charged late interest at a rate of 2 percent per month. They will also face changes in the tax assessment process, which could require them to pay tax on their total income.

In such cases, taxpayers will not qualify for tax exemptions or rebates, and any part of a month will be counted as a full month when calculating delays.