Income Tax Return Service for Ltd. Companies in Dhaka

Income tax return filing for a limited company is the formal, legally required process of reporting a company's total income, allowable expenses, tax adjustments, and final tax liability to the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for a specific income year. In Bangladesh, this obligation is governed primarily by the Income Tax Act, 2023, which replaced the earlier Income Tax Ordinance, 1984, and applies to every company incorporated under the Companies Act, 1994 — whether it is actively trading, dormant, or even running at a loss.

For a Ltd. company based in Dhaka, "filing an income tax return" means submitting a prescribed return form along with audited financial statements, computation of total income, tax challans or evidence of advance tax paid, and supporting schedules to the relevant Deputy Commissioner of Taxes (DCT) circle under the NBR's jurisdiction covering the company's registered address. Since 2023–24, NBR has been expanding online return submission through its e-Return portal (etaxnbr.gov.bd), although many corporate returns in practice are still filed manually at the tax circle office with digital record-keeping running alongside.

This obligation is separate from — but closely connected to — other compliance duties such as VAT return filing, RJSC annual return filing, and trade license renewal. A company can be fully compliant with the RJSC and still fall foul of NBR rules if it misses its income tax return, so business owners in Dhaka need to treat this as a distinct, non-negotiable annual task.

Because company tax computations involve depreciation schedules, disallowed expenses, minimum tax rules, and sector-specific rate variations, most Ltd. companies in Dhaka engage a chartered accountant or a tax consultancy such as Aeenx to prepare and file the return rather than attempting it in-house, particularly once the business has meaningful turnover or multiple revenue streams.

Yes — filing an annual income tax return is mandatory for every company registered in Bangladesh, without exception for company size, industry, or profitability. Unlike individual taxpayers, who are only required to file if their income exceeds certain thresholds, companies have no minimum income exemption. A newly incorporated Ltd. company that has not yet started commercial operations, and even a company that is completely dormant with no transactions during the year, is still legally obligated to submit a "nil return" declaring zero income.

This blanket requirement exists because a company is treated by law as a distinct taxable entity from the moment it receives its Certificate of Incorporation and Tax Identification Number (TIN) from the NBR. The TIN itself creates a standing filing obligation that continues every year until the company is formally struck off the RJSC register and its TIN is deregistered with NBR — a separate process that companies frequently overlook when they stop operating.

There is no waiver for companies that are loss-making. In fact, timely filing of loss returns is important because business losses can only be carried forward and set off against future profits under the Income Tax Act, 2023 if the loss return for that year was filed within the statutory deadline. Missing the deadline can mean permanently forfeiting the right to carry forward a loss, even though there was no tax actually payable that year.

The mandatory nature of company return filing is enforced through a network of cross-checks: banks require an updated Tax Clearance Certificate or acknowledgment receipt for many transactions, RJSC checks for tax compliance during certain filings, and government tenders and BIDA services often require proof of up-to-date tax filing. In short, for any Ltd. company in Dhaka — whether a small private company or a large enterprise — annual income tax return filing is not optional.

Corporate income tax return filing in Bangladesh sits within a defined legal and institutional framework. Understanding the key laws and bodies helps a business owner know where obligations come from and who to approach for specific issues.

Income Tax Act, 2023

The Income Tax Act, 2023 is the primary legislation governing the assessment, computation, and collection of income tax in Bangladesh, including corporate tax. It replaced the Income Tax Ordinance, 1984, and consolidated and modernized the rules on filing deadlines, tax rates, depreciation allowances, minimum tax, advance tax, and penalties. All company return preparation must follow the definitions, deductions, and procedures set out in this Act and its accompanying Finance Act provisions, which are updated annually with the national budget.

National Board of Revenue (NBR)

The National Board of Revenue is the apex government authority responsible for tax administration in Bangladesh, operating under the Internal Resources Division of the Ministry of Finance. NBR sets the return forms, prescribes filing procedures, operates the Deputy Commissioner of Taxes (DCT) circle offices where returns are physically or digitally submitted, and runs the e-Return portal at etaxnbr.gov.bd.

Companies Act, 1994

While the Companies Act, 1994 is primarily concerned with incorporation and corporate governance through the RJSC rather than taxation, it is the source of the legal identity that triggers the NBR filing obligation, and it also governs the preparation of audited financial statements that must accompany the tax return.

Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA)

For foreign-invested Ltd. companies, BIDA registration status is often cross-checked against tax compliance, and BIDA services such as work permit renewals typically require evidence of up-to-date income tax filings.

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB)

Company financial statements accompanying the tax return must generally be audited by a chartered accountant licensed by ICAB, connecting the tax filing process directly to Bangladesh's professional accounting regulatory framework.

All companies incorporated in Bangladesh and holding a TIN are within scope, but the practical filing profile differs depending on the type and status of the company:

• Private limited companies: The most common structure for SMEs and startups in Dhaka. Must file annually regardless of turnover, profit, or number of transactions.
• Public limited companies: Subject to the same filing obligation, with additional disclosure requirements tied to BSEC regulation if listed.
• Foreign-invested and joint-venture companies: Must file in Bangladesh on their locally earned income, and are also subject to transfer pricing documentation requirements if they transact with related foreign entities.
• Branch and liaison offices of foreign companies: Required to file returns even though a liaison office cannot generate local revenue — reporting remitted expenses and confirming no taxable income.
• Dormant or non-trading companies: Must file nil returns until formally deregistered with both RJSC and NBR.
• Companies under voluntary or court-ordered liquidation: Filing continues until the liquidator obtains a formal tax clearance and the company is struck off.

There is no exemption based on the company being newly formed. Even a company incorporated in, say, March, with its first income year ending only a few months later, must file a return for that partial income year. Aeenx frequently assists newly incorporated clients in Dhaka with this very first "starter" return, which sets the compliance pattern for all future years.

Preparing a complete and defensible company tax return requires assembling a specific set of financial and corporate documents. Missing or incomplete documentation is the single most common cause of delayed filing or NBR queries. The typical document checklist includes:

1. Company TIN certificate issued by NBR.
2. Certificate of Incorporation, MoA, and AoA from the RJSC.
3. Audited financial statements for the relevant income year — balance sheet, profit and loss (income statement), statement of changes in equity, cash flow statement, and notes to the accounts, prepared in accordance with Bangladesh Financial Reporting Standards (BFRS) and signed by a licensed chartered accountant.
4. Computation of total income reconciling accounting profit with taxable income, adjusting for disallowed expenses, depreciation per the Third Schedule, and other statutory adjustments.
5. Bank statements for all company accounts covering the income year.
6. Evidence of advance tax (AIT) and tax deducted/collected at source (TDS/TCS) — challans, certificates from banks and clients showing tax withheld.
7. VAT return copies (Mushak 9.1) for the corresponding period, where applicable, for cross-verification of turnover.
8. Trade license copy and registered office address proof.
9. Board resolution authorizing the filing and, where relevant, authorizing a specific director or representative to sign the return.
10. Details of directors and shareholders including their individual TINs, since director remuneration and dividend payments are cross-referenced.
11. Depreciation schedule of fixed assets, and details of any capital gains, foreign remittances, or related-party transactions during the year.

For companies with foreign shareholding or intercompany transactions, additional transfer pricing documentation may be required under the Income Tax Act, 2023 if the transaction value with associated enterprises exceeds the prescribed threshold. Aeenx reviews each client's document set against this checklist at the start of engagement to flag any gaps early, avoiding last-minute delays close to the filing deadline.

Corporate income tax rates in Bangladesh are set annually through the Finance Act and vary by company type, listing status, and sector. Rates are subject to change with each national budget, so the figures below reflect the general structure applicable in recent years; the exact rate for a given assessment year should always be confirmed against the current Finance Act or with a tax professional.

Reduced rates are often available for companies that meet specific conditions such as receiving income through bank transfer, maintaining proper e-TDS compliance, or operating in export-oriented sectors like readymade garments, where preferential rates apply to encourage foreign exchange earnings. Newly listed companies may also enjoy a temporarily reduced rate for a set number of years following listing.

In addition to the standard corporate rate, a minimum tax applies based on gross receipts/turnover, regardless of whether the company shows a profit — discussed further below. Dividend income received by the company, capital gains, and certain other income categories may be taxed at different specific rates rather than the general corporate rate. Because rate determination depends on precise classification of the company and its income streams, Aeenx always verifies the applicable rate against the current Finance Act before finalizing any client's computation.

Under the Income Tax Act, 2023, a company must file its return within a set number of months after the end of its income year, tied to the company's Tax Day. For most companies whose income year ends on 30 June (the standard Bangladeshi fiscal year), the return is generally due by the 15th day of the seventh month following the end of the income year — commonly falling around 15 January of the following calendar year. Companies with a different income year end (for example, those aligned to a foreign parent's calendar year of 31 December) calculate their own Tax Day on the same "seventh month" basis from their specific year-end.

A company may apply to the DCT for an extension of the filing deadline, which if granted is typically limited to a maximum additional period (commonly up to two months, sometimes further extendable in limited circumstances with the Commissioner's approval). Extensions are not automatic and must be formally requested with justification before the original deadline lapses.

It is important to distinguish the income year (the 12-month accounting period during which income is earned) from the assessment year (the year in which that income is assessed and taxed). For a company with income year 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025, the return is filed and assessed in the 2025–26 assessment year, with the statutory Tax Day falling around mid-January 2026.

Missing the filing deadline triggers automatic interest and penalty exposure under the Act, and it also affects the company's ability to carry forward losses, so businesses in Dhaka should treat the Tax Day as a hard, calendar-critical deadline — not a soft target.

Filing a Ltd. company's income tax return in Dhaka follows a defined sequence. While the process can be handled directly by company staff, most businesses engage a chartered accountant or tax consultant to manage the technical computation and interaction with the DCT circle. The typical steps are:

1. Close the books and finalize accounts for the income year — reconciling ledgers, bank statements, and inventory records.
2. Complete the statutory audit by a licensed chartered accountant, resulting in signed financial statements and an audit report.
3. Prepare the computation of total income, adjusting accounting profit for tax-specific rules — disallowed expenses, allowable depreciation under the Third Schedule, carried-forward losses, and any tax-exempt income.
4. Calculate the final tax liability, comparing the tax on computed income against the minimum tax on gross receipts, and applying credit for advance tax (AIT) and tax deducted/collected at source already paid during the year.
5. Settle any balance tax due through a treasury challan before submission, since outstanding tax payable generally must be paid at or before the time of filing.
6. Complete the prescribed return form (the corporate return form set by NBR) along with all required schedules and attachments.
7. Submit the return to the appropriate DCT circle office covering the company's registered address in Dhaka, or via the NBR e-Return system where available for the relevant taxpayer category, and obtain an acknowledgment receipt/slip as proof of filing.
8. Retain records — the acknowledgment receipt, challans, and full working papers should be retained for future assessment, audit selection, or tax clearance certificate applications.

Returns filed by companies are frequently selected for scrutiny or audit by NBR under its risk-based selection criteria, so accuracy and supporting documentation at the point of filing materially reduce the risk and cost of a subsequent tax audit. This is one of the main reasons businesses prefer to have an experienced preparer manage the process rather than filing informally. Aeenx manages every step of this process for clients, from bookkeeping review through to final submission and receipt collection.

Advance Tax (AIT)

Companies are generally required to pay tax in advance during the income year, in quarterly installments, based on an estimate of the current year's income (often based on the previous year's assessed tax, adjusted). Advance tax is paid via treasury challan in four installments during the year, and any shortfall or excess is reconciled at the time of final return filing. Failure to pay adequate advance tax can attract additional interest under the Income Tax Act, 2023.

Tax Deducted/Collected at Source (TDS/TCS)

Many payments made to or by the company — such as payments for services, contracts, imports, or bank interest — are subject to tax deduction or collection at source by the paying party. These amounts are credited against the company's final tax liability when the return is filed, provided proper certificates and challans are retained as evidence.

Minimum Tax

Bangladesh applies a minimum tax regime for companies, calculated as a percentage of gross receipts/turnover (commonly around 0.6% for most companies, with different rates for specific sectors such as manufacturing, tobacco, mobile telecom, and certain others). This minimum tax is payable even if the company has made a loss or has no tax payable under the normal computation — the company pays whichever is higher between the tax computed on actual taxable income and the minimum tax on gross receipts. This rule significantly affects loss-making or low-margin companies and should be factored into cash flow planning from the start of the financial year, not just at filing time.

Because advance tax, TDS credits, and minimum tax interact in ways that are easy to miscalculate, professional review of these figures before submission is one of the most valuable parts of the filing service Aeenx provides, helping companies avoid both overpayment and underpayment risk.

Yes — virtually every Ltd. company in Bangladesh must have its annual financial statements audited by a chartered accountant licensed by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh (ICAB) as a precondition for filing a valid income tax return. This statutory (financial) audit is distinct from an "NBR tax audit," which is a separate, selective examination that NBR may initiate after a return is filed, based on risk criteria or random selection.

Statutory Financial Audit

The statutory audit verifies that the company's financial statements present a true and fair view in accordance with Bangladesh Financial Reporting Standards (BFRS), and the signed audit report and financial statements are submitted together with the tax return. Without a properly signed audit report, most DCT circles will not accept a company return as complete.

NBR Tax Audit / Assessment

After filing, a return may be selected by NBR for a detailed tax audit, in which the DCT examines the underlying books, contracts, and supporting documents to verify the accuracy of the declared income and deductions. Companies selected for audit are typically required to produce ledgers, bank statements, invoices, and contracts covering the relevant income year. A well-documented, professionally prepared return with consistent figures across the audited financial statements, VAT returns, and bank records significantly reduces both the likelihood of adverse audit findings and the time needed to close an audit.

Given the technical overlap between statutory audit requirements and tax computation rules, many companies in Dhaka coordinate their financial audit and tax return preparation through the same advisory team to ensure the figures reconcile cleanly before submission — a service Aeenx provides by working alongside the client's auditor or, where requested, coordinating a suitable ICAB-licensed auditor on the client's behalf.

Failing to file a company income tax return by the statutory deadline in Bangladesh carries several concrete consequences under the Income Tax Act, 2023, ranging from financial penalties to more serious operational and legal risk:

• Penalty for late filing: The DCT may impose a penalty, commonly calculated as a percentage of the tax payable (or a fixed minimum penalty where no tax is payable), with the penalty amount generally increasing the longer the delay continues.
• Interest on unpaid tax: Simple interest accrues monthly on any tax that remains unpaid past the due date, in addition to the late-filing penalty itself.
• Loss of the right to carry forward losses: As noted earlier, a company that fails to file its return by the deadline forfeits the ability to carry forward that year's business losses to offset against future taxable profits — a permanent financial disadvantage that can outweigh the direct penalty.
• Best-judgment assessment: If a company persistently fails to file, the DCT is empowered to conduct a "best judgment" assessment, estimating the company's income and tax liability without the benefit of the company's own figures — typically resulting in a higher, less favorable tax determination than the company would have achieved by filing accurately itself.
• Difficulty obtaining a Tax Clearance Certificate: Many transactions — including certain bank facilities, BIDA services, tender participation, and share transfers — require an up-to-date Tax Clearance Certificate, which cannot be issued if returns are outstanding.
• Reputational and banking friction: Non-compliant tax status can affect a company's standing with banks, investors, and larger corporate counterparties who conduct due diligence before entering contracts.

Where a company has genuinely missed one or more years of filing, the correct approach is not to ignore the gap further but to regularize the position as soon as possible — filing outstanding returns, paying applicable penalties and interest, and re-establishing a clean compliance record. Aeenx regularly assists companies in Dhaka with exactly this kind of catch-up filing, working directly with the DCT circle to resolve historical non-compliance in an orderly way.

There is no official NBR fee for filing a company tax return — filing itself is free of government charge. The cost that businesses actually incur is the professional service fee paid to a chartered accountant or tax consultancy to prepare the audited accounts, compute taxable income correctly, and manage submission. This fee varies with company size, transaction volume, and complexity:

These figures typically cover computation of income, liaison with the DCT circle, and submission, and are separate from the statutory audit fee (commonly BDT 20,000 to BDT 80,000+ depending on company size) charged by the auditing chartered accountant. Where a company bundles bookkeeping, VAT return filing, statutory audit coordination, and income tax return preparation with a single provider, package pricing is often more cost-effective than engaging separate providers for each service. If any tax is actually payable based on the computation, that amount is paid to government treasury separately from any professional fee and is not part of the service charge.

For an accurate, no-obligation quote based on your company's specific size and transaction volume, contact Aeenx for a free consultation.

• Mismatched turnover figures between the income tax return, VAT returns, and bank statements — a very common trigger for NBR queries and audit selection.
• Missing the Tax Day because the audit was not completed in time — companies should start the annual audit process well before the filing deadline rather than treating it as a last-minute task.
• Incorrect depreciation claims that do not follow the Third Schedule rates and methods, leading to disallowed deductions on assessment.
• Failing to reconcile advance tax and TDS credits properly, resulting in either overpayment of tax or an incomplete credit claim that inflates the apparent liability.
• Ignoring the minimum tax rule and assuming that a loss-making year means zero tax payable, when minimum tax on gross receipts may still apply.
• Not retaining supporting documents such as TDS certificates, challans, and contracts, which are essential if the return is later selected for audit.
• Filing without a proper board resolution or authorized signatory, which can create procedural defects in an otherwise correct return.
• Continuing to file nil returns for a dormant company indefinitely instead of formally winding up and deregistering, which unnecessarily extends compliance obligations and cost year after year.

Most of these issues arise from treating tax filing as an isolated, once-a-year event rather than an ongoing bookkeeping discipline maintained throughout the year. Companies that maintain clean monthly books, reconcile VAT and bank records regularly, and engage their tax preparer early tend to file faster, more accurately, and with materially lower audit risk.

Beyond simply avoiding penalties, timely and accurate income tax return filing delivers tangible business advantages for a Ltd. company operating in Dhaka:

For growth-stage companies in particular, a clean multi-year tax filing history is often one of the first things reviewed by investors, acquirers, and international partners during due diligence, making consistent, professionally prepared filings a long-term asset for the business rather than a mere compliance chore.

Aeenx provides end-to-end income tax return preparation and filing for private and public limited companies based in Dhaka and across Bangladesh. Our service is designed for business owners who want their tax obligations handled correctly, on time, and with a clear understanding of what they are paying and why — without needing to manage the technical details themselves.

Our engagement typically covers: a review of your company's bookkeeping and financial records ahead of the year-end close; coordination with your auditor (or arranging a suitable ICAB-licensed auditor) to complete the statutory audit; preparation of the computation of total income, applying the correct depreciation, disallowances, and minimum tax check; reconciliation of advance tax and TDS/TCS credits against your bank and vendor records; completion and submission of the return to the correct DCT circle covering your registered office in Dhaka; and retention of a complete filing file, including the acknowledgment receipt, for your records and for any future audit or clearance certificate application.

For companies with historical filing gaps, we also assist with regularizing outstanding years — calculating applicable penalties and interest, engaging with the DCT circle, and bringing the company's compliance position current in a structured, transparent way. For foreign-invested and joint-venture companies, we additionally advise on transfer pricing documentation requirements where related-party transactions apply.

If you would like a clear, upfront quote for your company's specific filing needs, get in touch with our team at Aeenx for a free initial consultation.

Further Reading

• Income Tax — Wikipedia
• Companies Act — Wikipedia
• National Board of Revenue — Wikipedia
• Value-Added Tax — Wikipedia
• Private Limited Company — Wikipedia
• Bangladesh — Wikipedia