Freelancers don’t have to pay any income tax: Palak

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Minister of State Junaid Ahmed Palak said that freelancers do not have to pay tax on their income at any source. Freelancing sector will be exempt from all types of income tax.

He said this while speaking as the chief guest at a knowledge sharing event titled ‘BFSI Cloud and Cyber Security’ at a hotel in the capital on Saturday (September 30). Felicity Internet Data Center organized the event.

The ICT State Minister said that the technology-friendly Awami League government has implemented multifaceted activities including training for freelancers, providing grants to make them entrepreneurs, and developing their IDs in the development and development of the freelancing sector in the last 14 years. In recent times, a section has been spreading misinformation to disrupt the development progress of the government and to mislead the freelancers. They even indulged in false propaganda about Bangladesh Bank, NBR and me.

He said, after talking to Bangladesh Bank and NBR, I have confirmed that the income of freelancers will not have to be taxed at any source. They will be outside the purview of income tax. Even freelancers are given a 4 percent incentive if they bring remittances into the country, which is contributing to the country’s economy.

The state minister also said that if we can save all the data that is currently coming to Bangladesh from various platforms in the world, then billions of dollars of business opportunities will be created.

Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) Chairman Shyam Sundar Sikdar, Bangladesh Hi-Tech Park Authority Managing Director GSM Zafar Ullah, Fiber at Home Limited Chairman Moinul Haque Siddiqui and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Digital University Vice-Chancellor Dr. Mohammad Mahfuzul Islam and others.

Meanwhile, Mehbaul Haque, Executive Director and Spokesperson of Bangladesh Bank, gave the same information on Saturday. In response to the questions of the journalists, he said that the news has been published in various media that the government has imposed 10 percent tax on the income of freelancers. This is not the case.

The executive director of Bangladesh Bank also said that it is not understood as service sector. The service sector refers to the income earned by shipping lines in Bangladesh by transporting foreign goods and the income from the indenting business. In no case are freelancers remittances taxed. NBRO also confirmed the matter to Bangladesh Bank.