Web-based app launched to simplify income tax submission

How the app will help users

• Assessing assets
• Calculating income tax accurately
• Filling up the income tax form
• Filing tax returns to NBR offices concerned
• Availing services from professional lawyers
• Taxpayers can now fill up the income tax form, file tax returns, assess their assets, as well as take various tax-related services online through an automated method
  

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Taxpayers can now fill up the income tax form, file tax returns, assess their assets, as well as take various tax-related services online through an automated method.

Desh Universal came up with a new web-based application called digiTax to further simplify the submission of income tax returns. Md Alamgir Hossain, member (tax policy) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR), inaugurated the application on Saturday.

Highlighting the main features of digiTax, its team member Syeda Nusrat Haider said, "There are many taxpayers of different levels in the country who do not know how to calculate income tax properly. As a result, they often cannot file returns properly.

"In order to resolve this problem, we've come up with a new system through which the users can submit their returns with ease and comfort through giving inputs as per their requirements."

She mentioned that their system includes an automated calculating system as per the law through which they would be able to prepare their income tax returns. Taxpayers will be able to use this software in Bangla as well as in English.

Using digiTax, taxpayers can file their returns through an automated method to the income tax offices concerned, she noted, adding that taxpayers can also avail services from the professional lawyers of digiTax for submitting tax returns.

About the security of personal information of taxpayers, Nusrat said every taxpayer would have their personal ID and password while none except the taxpayers concerned would have access to those. Users would be able to save their personal information and can also edit those anytime by logging into their ID, she added.

Nusrat said the government has already taken various initiatives to bring in a wider section of people under the tax net. "In line with these government initiatives, we've been trying for a long time to work with the government. In continuation of this, we've developed this software and our goal is to work with the government in an integrated way."

Nusrat also mentioned that income tax lawyers also would be able to give services to their clients through digiTax.

After inaugurating the software, NBR Member Alamgir Hossain said there has been a growing interest among taxpayers to pay income tax while the number of taxpayers is also increasing day by day.

"It's not possible to give services to a huge number of taxpayers under the existing system. There is no alternative to making all tax-related services online as well as making the tax return submission system automated."

Considering the need of the hour, the NBR has introduced an online tax payment system, he said, adding the initiative by Desh Universal from the private sector would further simplify the stride towards digitizing tax-related services.

The digiTax inauguration ceremony held at the Economic Reporters' Forum (ERF) auditorium in the capital's Paltan area on Saturday was also attended, among others, by Mahmudul HasanKhusru, president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB); AKM Azizur Rahman, president of Dhaka Taxes Bar Association; Khaled Mahmud Sujon, director of Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB); Golam Shahriar Ronju, director of digiTax; and SM Rashidul Islam, general secretary of the ERF.

ICAB President Mahmudul Hasan Khusru said the income tax law is one of the toughest laws of the world and it goes through changes every now and then. "digiTax deserves applause for taking a big stride centering this law."

The initiative by Desh Universal would help taxpayers and thus a huge number of taxpayers would feel encouraged to submit their tax returns. Besides, revenue collection would also increase, he added.