Income Tax Act 2023 & Revenue Ordinances Summary

Comprehensive breakdown of Bangladesh tax provisions, sections, and structural reform ordinances.

Structure of Income Tax Act 2023 (Act No. 12 of 2023)

Effective: 1 July 2023 to present
Total Chapters
25
Total Sections
345
Schedules
9
Assessment Basis
Self-Assessment

Major & Transformational Legal Amendments:

1. Universal Self-Assessment (Section 180):

Any return filed correctly by the taxpayer is deemed automatically accepted and finalized immediately upon submission. No officer can arbitrarily withhold files.

2. 7 Clearly Defined Heads of Income (Sections 32-69):

Replacing complex legacy sections, income is categorized into 7 straightforward heads: Employment, House Property, Agriculture, Business, Capital Gains, Financial Assets, and Other Sources.

3. Unified Tax Rebate Formula (Section 78):

Rebate is strictly determined as the lowest among 3% of taxable income, 10% of allowable investments, or a maximum cap of ৳7,50,000.

4. Mandatory PSR Compliance (Section 264):

Proof of Submission of Return (PSR) is strictly mandatory for obtaining 46 essential public & commercial services including bank loans, trade licenses, and connections.

Revenue Policy & Management Ordinance (Ordinance No. 59)

Historic Reform

National Board of Revenue (NBR) responsibilities are bifurcated into two independent departments: Policy Formulation and Tax Administration.

Division 1: Revenue Policy Division
  • • Operates directly under the Ministry of Finance to formulate tax policies and enact statutes.
  • • Conducts economic research, pre-budget stakeholder forums, and evaluates incentive schemes.
  • • Has zero field collection or taxpayer summoning powers, entirely eliminating conflicts of interest.
Division 2: Revenue Administration Division
  • • Manages e-Return systems, cutting-edge IT infrastructure, and enforces revenue collection.
  • • Deploys digital audit techniques and cross-database telemetry to curb tax evasion.
  • • Protects bona-fide taxpayers from harassment by delivering 100% online citizen services.