News Highlights
Tax systems worldwide are increasingly using artificial intelligence to improve efficiency, accuracy, and compliance, and the article argues Bangladesh should follow this path. While the country’s tax system is still largely human-driven, rising economic activity and complex transactions are stretching its capacity. AI could support tax officers by automating routine checks, identifying irregularities, and prioritising audits based on risk. It can also help widen the tax base by identifying economically active but unregistered individuals through data analysis. Bangladesh has already taken steps with e-TINs and online filings, but deeper technology integration is needed. The article stresses that AI should enhance, not replace, human expertise, making tax collection fairer, more balanced, and easier for compliant taxpayers.
Calculator with a Brain
– Written by, Co-founder and CEO of Accfintax
Why do accountants never play hide and seek? Because it’s hard to hide when they always want everything to be balanced.
That reverse logic applies to taxation, too. There is always a hide-and-seek relationship between the tax authority and the taxpayer.
Around the world, governments are working to close gaps, reduce leakages, and ensure everyone contributes fairly. One of the most powerful tools enabling this today is artificial intelligence, or AI.
In countries like the United Kingdom, South Korea, and Estonia, tax authorities are using AI to speed up processes, reduce errors, and improve compliance. Simple but time-consuming tasks such as scanning invoices, pulling figures from documents, or matching declarations across systems can now be completed in seconds. As a result, tax officers spend less time on paperwork and more on informed decision-making.
In Bangladesh, we still rely on a human-driven tax system. That is not a flaw. It reflects the hard work and dedication of our officers who, despite limited resources, keep the system running. But as the economy grows and transactions become more complex, the workload increases significantly. Without the right tools, it becomes difficult to keep pace.
This is where AI can step in as a powerful support.
Imagine a system that quietly reviews tax filings, checks figures against databases, detects irregularities, and flags them for attention. It works without breaks or delays, allowing officers to focus on analysis and judgment rather than routine checks. Audits could then be prioritised based on real-time risk profiles, and assessments could be completed with more clarity and consistency.
Read the full original column by Ahmed Humayun Murshed in The Daily Star:
🔗 Calculator with a Brain