TIN mandatory for opening bank Ac; excise duty ceiling Tk 4 lakh

TIN mandatory for opening bank accounts.

Dhaka, JUNE 11 - In a significant move to expand the national tax net, the government has proposed making the submission of a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) certificate mandatory for opening any new bank account.

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury announced the proposal today while presenting a record Tk 9.38 lakh crore national budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 in the Jatiya Sangsad.

"I propose that, except for student accounts, no-frills accounts, and persons exempted by a gazette notification issued by the board from the requirement of obtaining a TIN, any other person must submit a TIN certificate when opening a bank account," the Finance Minister said during his budget speech.

The move aims to bring a massive segment of the population into the formal tax compliance system. According to central bank data, the total number of banking accounts in Bangladesh stood at 17.79 crore at the end of December 2025. While a large portion of urban account holders already possess TINs, the mandatory provision is expected to significantly accelerate tax compliance across the country.

To facilitate this massive data processing, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) plans to establish a Central Data Integration system. This framework will directly link the NBR database with the National Identity Card (NID) system, commercial banks, utility service providers, and sub-registry offices for seamless information verification.

 While industry insiders fear the mandatory TIN clause could pose administrative hurdles for ordinary, low-income citizens trying to access the banking system, the government has carefully crafted certain exemptions. Students, beneficiaries of various government social safety net allowances, pension holders, and small-saving "no-frills" accounts (such as 10-taka accounts) will not require a TIN.

Excise Duty Exemption Threshold Raised on Bank Deposits:

In a parallel move aimed at providing relief to small and middle-class savers amid persistent inflation, the government has also proposed raising the threshold for annual excise duty on bank deposits.

According to the new budget document, the duty-free bank deposit ceiling has been increased to Tk 4 lakh, up from the existing Tk 3 lakh.

Under this relaxed framework, individual account holders with a balance of up to Tk 4 lakh at any point during a calendar year will be entirely exempt from paying annual excise duty.

However, for accounts exceeding this threshold, a progressive excise duty slab will continue to apply, ranging from Tk 500 up to Tk 50,000 based on the maximum balance maintained in the account. - UNB