DHAKA, Dec 9, 2025 (BSS) - National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan today said the revenue authority is developing an automated system that will integrate taxpayers' annual return submission with banks, easing compliance and eliminating the need to collect multiple bank certificates from different branches.

He was speaking at a "Meet the Press" event held at the conference room of the NBR Building in the capital on the eve of VAT Day and VAT Week.

The NBR Chairman said the system will automatically retrieve essential information from banks once a taxpayer enters their Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) and National Identity Number (NID).

The information to be retrieved includes the balance as of June 30, total profit earned during the year, tax deducted at source on that profit, and the charges imposed by banks over the same period.

He said taxpayers who maintain several bank accounts currently have to visit each bank individually to collect these certificates, a practice that often leads to mistakes and creates unnecessary hassle.

"By automating the retrieval of this information, taxpayers will no longer need to run from one bank to another, and inconsistencies in their submitted figures will be avoided," he added.

Rahman stressed that the system has been widely misunderstood and clarified that the revenue authority will not gain access to taxpayers' personal or transactional information.

Only the taxpayers themselves will be able to view the automatically generated bank data while submitting their returns, and no tax official will have access to it, he said.

He further noted that no transaction-level information will be collected through the system. Any request for detailed bank transactions will continue to follow the existing legal framework during investigations backed by credible intelligence, which is a separate process.

The NBR Chairman said the new mechanism will prevent unnecessary complications, such as the reopening of files due to discrepancies in bank-related declarations.

He added that the initiative is progressing well, although it could not be introduced this year.

 He expressed optimism that the system would be in place before next year, following the strengthening of NBR's in-house IT workforce to securely connect with the digital systems of all banks.

Rahman urged the media to help dispel misunderstandings and build public trust in the initiative, saying their support is crucial for accurate communication.

He said greater transparency and efficiency would naturally boost tax collection once the system is implemented.

The NBR chairman reaffirmed that the goal is to simplify the return-filing process, reduce the burden on taxpayers, and move towards a more modern and automated tax administration to support the country's development objectives.