Pay more for foreign tour from budget 2023-24

There is bad news for people who love to travel abroad in the budget for the financial year 2023-2024. The government is going to impose an additional tax of Tk 300-500 on the passengers going abroad to meet the demand for additional tax.

However, those who travel abroad for Hajj or medical treatment are getting tax benefits as before. That means they don't have to pay taxes.

A senior official of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) told Dhaka Post that usually only those who have more financial solvency travel abroad. Even with the current economic strain, those who are traveling abroad, we can assume are doing well. As we are under pressure to collect additional taxes, we are trying to collect additional taxes from the rich class.

He also said that as always some passengers including Hajj passengers and patients are exempted from tax. There is no room for confusion about it. Although the final decision can be seen in the budget presentation.

According to NBR sources, the travel tax was last increased in 2014. As such, currently a tax of 500 taka is required for traveling abroad by land and 800 taka for traveling by water. On the other hand, one thousand 200 taka for travel to SAARC countries by air; To pay a travel tax of 4,000 taka per passenger for travel to North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, China, Japan, Hong Kong, North Korea, South Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Taiwan and 3,000 taka for travel to other countries. is Usually the tax is collected with the air ticket.

However, children between the ages of 5 and 12 years have to pay travel tax at half the prescribed rate. Passengers aged 5 years and below, cancer patients, blind persons, Bangladeshi and foreign diplomats, their families, aircrew, airmen, Hajj and Umrah passengers do not have to pay travel tax.

In the coming budget, the travel tax for land travel will be increased from Tk 500 to Tk 1000, for SAARC countries by Tk 300 to Tk 1,500, for Europe-America region it may be Tk 4,500 and for other regions it may be Tk 3,500.

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