Dhaka: A weeklong Income Tax Fair 2016 beings on Tuesday at Agargaon in Dhaka as well as other divisional cities across the country to help taxpayers filing returns and other related tasks.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith will inaugurate the fair organized by National Board of Revenue (NBR) at its own building at Agargaon.

The fair will also be held at all districts and 86 upazilas. The fair at district level will be of four days and at the upazila level the duration will be of one or two days, said the NBR. The NBR will also observe the National Income Tax Day on November 30.

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages on the eve of the week-long income tax fair.

In his message, President Hamid said the government has been organizing income tax fair every year since 2010 to encourage the people to pay tax and simplify the process of income tax payment.

“The income tax fair has already created a tax-friendly environment in the country and has increased the collection of resources from internal sources manifold than before,” he said.

The President urged all concerned to come forward spontaneously to give income tax to expedite the activities of the country’s socioeconomic development.

In her message Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the government has been holding the income tax fair every year since 2010 aiming to mobilize internal resources for materializing the goals of becoming a middle income country by 2021 and a developed country by 2041.

The Prime Minister said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had established NBR in 1972 and the present government has taken various initiatives for modernization of the NBR, including simplifying the tax payment system.

“We will be able to establish a hunger and poverty free Sonar Bangla as dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman through mobilizing adequate amount of internal resources,” she added.

Speaking at a press conference today, NBR chairman Nojibor Rahman said the income tax fair will be held in a total of 150 places across the country and the taxpayers will be able to file tax return online from the fair for the first time this year.

He said the NBR will give 125 top taxpayers tax card this year to encourage the taxpayers. Last year only 20 top taxpayers were given tax card, he added.

He said a one-day mobile tax fair will be held in 54 upazilas this year. The NBR has taken steps to operate eight shuttle buses to take taxpayers to the fair venue at Agargaon.

The NBR is holding the fair in November this year instead of mid-September as scheduled earlier. November 30 will be the last date for the submission of income tax return unlike the previous years when September 30 was the last date for the submission.