The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has extended the deadline for individual taxpayers to submit their income tax returns by another month. Taxpayers now have until February 28, 2026, to file their returns without facing any financial penalties.
The decision was formalized in an order signed by NBR official Md. Ekramul Haque on Thursday (January 29).
A Third Extension for Taxpayers
This marks the third time the NBR has pushed back the deadline for the 2025–26 tax year. Initially, the legal deadline was November 30, which was first extended to December 31, and later to January 31.
According to a senior NBR official who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the extension aims to provide relief to citizens amidst the busy election season. Furthermore, since the NBR made online filing mandatory for most individual taxpayers last August, the extra time allows more people to adapt to the digital transition.
Surge in Digital Filings
The shift toward a paperless tax system has seen significant traction this year. Data from the NBR reveals a steady increase in monthly e-return submissions:
| Month (2025) | E-Returns Submitted |
| August | ~251,000 |
| September | ~301,000 |
| October | ~454,000 |
| November | ~1,040,000 |
| December | ~1,000,000 |
| Total to Date | Over 3.1 Million |
While the NBR has mandated online filing, it has provided some flexibility. Taxpayers facing genuine technical or registration issues can apply for permission to submit paper-based returns by February 15, provided they have reasonable justification.
Mandatory Compliance
Since August 2025, the NBR has enforced a policy requiring all individual taxpayers—except for certain groups like senior citizens (65+), persons with disabilities, and expatriates—to file their returns exclusively via the www.etaxnbr.gov.bd portal.
With over 31 lakh (3.1 million) taxpayers already compliant, the NBR remains optimistic that the extended window will help reach their target of over 4 million filings for this fiscal year.
