The much-touted online tax payment system of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has gone bust for a distinct lack of proper initiatives.
The revenue authorities apparently look apathetic to continue with the digital payment system.
Officials said Datasoft Systems Bangladesh Limited, the e-payment system operator, has stopped providing necessary support for no renewal of the deal.
The contract with the company for technological support for the online tax payment system expired in 2015.
They said the system remains out of work for more than three months now.
Datasoft provided support for months even after the expiry of contract.
In May 2012, the NBR introduced tax e-payment with the support of International Finance Corporation (IFC).
It signed an agreement with Datasoft to provide software and maintain the system to this end. The private-sector Q-cash network was the gateway to the e-payment of tax through Sonali Bank.
A senior member of the NBR said the board could not arrange funds to renew the deal, causing suspension of the much-cherished e-payment system.
"We hope the NBR will resume the e-payment system in the upcoming income tax fair in November," he said.
NBR chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan at a recent meeting instructed the taxmen to take necessary steps to resume the system before tax fair.
Datasoft's senior project manager Ashiqul Islam Akanda said they provided technical support in the tax fair last November despite the contract's expiration.
"Following request of the NBR, we provided support in the last tax fair to facilitate taxpayers," he told the FE on Monday.
With this modern system, taxpayers were enjoying online payment of income tax from anywhere through the NBR-Sonali Bank e-payment portal.
Meanwhile, many taxpayers expressed their discontent over the current status of the e-payment system.
They said the NBR could easily develop the e-payment portal despite its limitations rather than discontinuing it.
Humayun Chowdhury, a retired banker and a regular taxpayer, said the online tax return submission and tax payment can spur others to pay tax without hassle.
"Standing in a long queue for tax payment is troublesome for senior citizens and also for busy people," he mentioned.
Mr Chowdhury paid income tax online at tax fair but he found some faults in the system that needs proper care.
He said most of the taxpayers having bank accounts could not enjoy the facility for absence of e-commerce-related services in the banks.
However, taxmen said response from taxpayers to the e-payment of tax was low, thanks to some limitations.
Taxpayers having accounts at 34 banks with Q-cash network could pay tax using their debit, credit and prepaid cards along with such cards of Sonali Bank.
Until June 2014, the revenue board received around Tk 60 million income tax through the online system.
The NBR officials said the introduction of the e-payment of income tax and Valued Added Tax (VAT) would be their major focus in the coming months.
The establishment of the digital NBR would be a far cry without the tax e-payment system, he argued.
When contacted, Mr Bhuiyan said relevant members of taxes can explain the update on the e-payment system.
