The National Board of Revenue is considering pushing back the deadline for income tax return submissions by one month to December 31 due to a slower-than-anticipated uptake of mandatory online filing. According to the NBR, only 16 lakh taxpayers have filed returns for the assessment year 2025-26 as of the latest count, accounting for just 13 percent of the total 1.24 crore taxpayer identification number (TIN) holders in the country.
A senior NBR official, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that requests for an extension beyond the current November 30 deadline have been received from various stakeholders, including lawyers, businesspeople, and professional bodies. The official mentioned that a one-month extension is being considered, with an official announcement expected soon in The Daily Star.
Regarding the slower submission rate, the official attributed it to taxpayers adapting to the online filing system, stating that this year has seen a learning curve for many individuals adjusting to the mandatory e-return filing process. However, the official expressed confidence that submission numbers would pick up, citing the usual trend of a surge in submissions towards the year-end deadline.
Highlighting the shift towards online filing, the revenue board mandated online return submissions for nearly all individual taxpayers this year, expanding from the previous requirement that applied to government employees in specific city corporations, as well as employees in scheduled banks, mobile telecom operators, and large private firms last year. The deadline for individual taxpayers to request paper returns was extended to November 15 this year, extending the original deadline of October 31.
Comparing to the previous year’s figures, where 45 lakh taxpayers submitted returns in total, this year’s submissions are currently lagging behind significantly, but the official remains optimistic that the numbers will surpass last year’s total with the additional time provided during the extended deadline.