The Real Estate and Housing Association of Bangladesh has urged the government to reduce land registration costs, saying a rational tax rate would encourage compliance and ultimately increase revenue collection.
The demand was placed on Wednesday during a pre-budget meeting with the National Board of Revenue, where the housing sector body also proposed cuts in gains tax and stamp duty, along with a uniform 2 percent VAT on all apartments.
REHAB leaders said high registration costs are discouraging formal transactions and slowing growth in the real estate sector. They argued that lowering the burden would help expand the tax base and improve transparency.
Speaking at the meeting, REHAB President Wahiduzzaman noted that both building construction and land development are currently subject to VAT, increasing overall costs for developers and buyers.
NBR Chairman Md Abdur Rahman Khan said land registration costs are legally meant to be paid by sellers, but in practice, the burden is often shifted to buyers.
The discussion also included proposals from 12 other organisations linked to housing and construction, reflecting broader concerns across the sector.
The Bangladesh Cement Manufacturers Association called for removing tiles from the luxury goods list, arguing that the existing 15 percent supplementary duty is encouraging VAT evasion.
The Bangladesh Land Developers Association proposed revising land valuation based on field assessments. It also suggested replacing the existing source tax of Tk 150,000 per decimal with a 3 percent tax on deed value.
Other sectors raised separate concerns. The Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries sought policy support ahead of LDC graduation, while the Bangladesh Tanners Association called for reducing import duties on chemicals.
Representatives from the Tea Traders Association of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Finished Leather Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association, and the Plastic and Rubber Footwear Merchants Association also presented proposals.
The NBR chairman assured that all recommendations would be reviewed for consideration in the upcoming national budget.