Dhaka: There are 1.8 million individual taxpayers in the country while 11,50,000 individuals submitted their tax returns.

Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith disclosed this in the Jatiya Sangsad, while replying to question from treasury bench member Begum Pinu Khan today.

The government has taken various steps to bring more people under the tax net to expand it further, he informed the House adding, the government has undertaken steps to conduct survey at home and abroad to increase the number of taxpayers.

“The Income Tax Department has been expanded to expand the tax net,” Muhith said adding that the government constructed 85 Income Tax Offices at upazila level and introduced e-TIN as compulsory in different sectors.

The finance minister also said that the government introduced 15 per cent tax at sources on the interests of professional income and also that of the banks and other institutions.