The National Board of Revenue (NBR) will resume the e-payment system in the forthcoming tax fair and widen the facility for income taxpayers.
Taxpayers will be able to pay income tax using their debit and credit cards of any banks at the fair, scheduled for November 13.
The NBR officials said gradually tax payment through mobile banking services including Bikash, Rocket will be introduced for facilitating tax payment.
The e-payment system, introduced in May 2012, was discontinued after the expiry of contract with its software operating company DataSoft in 2015.
The tax-collecting authority introduced the e-payment system with support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), an arm of the World Bank (WB).
However, the company had supported the board for running the system in the last two tax fairs only, despite the expiry of their contract.
The contract was not renewed with the company after limitations were found in the e-payment system.
A senior tax official said the e-payment system would be revived by widening the facility in the week-long tax fair.
"Earlier, taxpayers had to pay tax online using Q-cash card. From this year, credit and debit cards of any banks could be used for e-payment," he said.
According to the instructions from the NBR chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, the income tax wing has already held several meetings with the DataSoft, Sonali Bank and other relevant agencies for the purpose.
"Updated version of the software will be used for e-payment," the official said.
There was an agreement with the DataSoft to provide e-payment software and maintain the system. The private sector Q-cash network was the gateway to the e-payment of tax through Sonali Bank.
The board would sign a short-term contract with the DataSoft for the revival of e-payment system.
Under the contract, there will be a condition for imparting training to the Information Technology (IT) wing of the NBR.
Taxpayers will have to use the NBR-Sonali Bank e-payment portal for the e-payment of income tax.
Another official of the income tax wing said online submission of tax returns would not be effective without e-payment of taxes.
"Under the automated tax payment system, there should not be any scope for physical visit," he said.
He said most of the digitisation initiatives of the NBR could not be sustained due to a lack of proper initiatives.
A complete package for tax payment and return submission online would encourage taxpayers to pay taxes.
