Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury said today that the government collected Tk 4,10,390 crore in revenue during the 2025-26 fiscal year against a target of Tk 5,03,000 crore, achieving 81.6 percent of its overall revenue goal.
Responding to a question from Mohammad Abdullah MP during the question-and-answer session in the parliament, the minister said the shortfall was evident across all major sources of revenue.
According to him, income tax collection stood at Tk 1,42,827 crore against a target of Tk 1,86,110 crore, representing an achievement rate of 76.7 percent.
VAT collection reached Tk 1,55,940 crore against a target of Tk 1,86,110 crore, achieving 83.7 percent of the goal.
Meanwhile, the customs sector realised Tk 1,11,623 crore against a target of Tk 1,30,780 crore, meeting 85.3 percent of its target.
Responding to a supplementary question from reserved-seat BNP MP Shawkat Ara Akhter on the government's initiatives to increase revenue by expanding the tax net rather than raising tax rates, Amir Khosru said several measures had already been initiated to bring more individuals and businesses under taxation.
He said the government was identifying the market share of every tax-paying company across different sectors to ensure a fairer taxation system.
"We are determining the market share of every company in each sector. Tax liability will have a relationship with market share because those with larger market shares should bear a proportionate tax burden," he told the House.
The finance minister said such an assessment had not been carried out in the past, but the government was now systematically determining the market position of companies to strengthen tax administration.
He also announced the introduction of an area-based flat-rate tax system for individuals and businesses currently outside the tax net.
Under the scheme, new taxpayers will be able to pay a fixed amount of tax according to their financial capacity without having to submit tax returns, he said.
The minister said the flat-rate system was designed to minimise harassment by tax officials, as taxpayers would only need to retain the payment receipt after paying the prescribed amount.
"Our objective is to create a large tax network through this flat-rate system. Once people are brought into the tax net, the regular taxation policy will be implemented gradually," Amir Khosru said.
