The Bangladeshi government has officially revised the statutory submission windows for Value Added Tax (VAT) returns across the country following the promulgation of a new executive ordinance. Issued by the President, the measure substitutes Section 64 of the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012, setting out clear, category-specific timeframes designed to streamline tax collection, ensure compliance, and boost operational transparency within the national revenue ecosystem.
Under the updated provisions, standard registered, enlisted, or registrable entities and individuals must lodge their VAT documentation within 15 days following the conclusion of each tax period. Should the 15th day fall on a public holiday, taxpayers are granted an automatic extension to submit their filings on the immediate next working day without accruing penalties.
Conversely, a extended 20-day submission timeframe has been assigned to specific corporate and public bodies. Government, semi-government, and autonomous organisations, alongside banking institutions, insurance companies, and entities lodging zero-value returns, will now have up to 20 days post-tax period to file their paperwork. Authorities have clarified that a zero return applies when declaring no taxable transactions during a given cycle, though eligibility remains strictly subject to existing regulatory criteria rather than blanket exemptions.
The administrative reform was published through an extraordinary edition of the Bangladesh Gazette under the title ‘Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026’. Signed by President Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on 13 October, the gazeetted notice was issued on 14 October, with retroactive legal effect from 1 October.
To maintain legislative agility during unforeseen disruptions, the National Revenue Board (NBR) retains explicit power to extend return submission deadlines via official notification without levying interest charges or fines. Furthermore, the decree introduces structural reporting changes: taxpayers must now explicitly detail supplementary duty payments within their primary VAT return. The NBR has also been empowered to enforce mandatory electronic filing for designated taxpayer brackets to accelerate digital transition efforts.
The executive measure was enacted pursuant to Clause (1) of Article 93 of the Constitution of Bangladesh, which empowers the Head of State to issue binding ordinances when Parliament is not in session and immediate legislative intervention is required. Tax practitioners and corporate finance departments are advised to adjust their internal accounting schedules immediately to ensure full statutory compliance under the new timelines.
