Banks and tax offices saw a low turnout yesterday, the penultimate day for submission of tax returns.

The crowd to deposit amounts to the state coffers was higher on Thursday than yesterday, said an official of Sonali Bank's Ramna corporate branch.

At 3.40pm, the number of vouchers submitted for tax payment at the branch stood at 182, with the official suggesting that the total number might reach 250 in the remaining period.

In contrast, on Thursday, nearly 600 vouchers related to tax payment were submitted.

Tax offices and banks' major branches were open yesterday, a bank holiday, to facilitate taxpayers in meeting the Sunday deadline.

“We have recorded higher submission of tax returns from salaried persons today,” said Md Abdus Samad Al Azad, a joint commissioner of tax.

He, too, said the crowd to submit returns was relatively low in comparison to normal working days.

"The pressure for return submission was much higher on Thursday," another tax official told The Daily Star, while disclosing that 100-odd returns were submitted by 3pm at his office.

“But those who submitted their returns and completed the bank-related formalities today did not have to wait long in the queues,” he added.

Changes in tax circles and zones posted on the National Board of Revenue website also reduced hassle of taxpayers.

Rehana Nabi, a retired government employee, submitted her return to the new circle seeing the changes on revenue board's website.

MA Quader Sarker, a member-in-charge of tax administration and monitoring, too, said the turnout was low compared to other days, while adding that the NBR is yet to decide on the time extension for filling in returns.

Earlier, Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry and tax lawyers demanded the NBR extend the deadline to accommodate the plight of the taxpayers in locating their new circles, following the doubling of the field offices this year.

As of September 27, return submissions rose to 280,000 from 231,000 in the same period a year ago, an NBR official said.

News: The Daily Star/Bangladesh/30-Sep-12