In the proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2026-27, substantial tax relief has been announced to encourage the employment of disabled and third gender individuals. Any taxpayer institution that hires at least 10% of its total workforce, or a minimum of 25 individuals, from these groups will receive special tax benefits.
On Thursday (June 11) afternoon, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury made this announcement while presenting the proposed budget for the fiscal year 2026-27 in the Jatiya Sangsad.
According to the budget proposal, eligible employer institutions will receive a tax rebate of either 5% of their payable tax or 75% of the total salaries paid to the relevant disabled or third gender employees, whichever is lower.
The Finance Minister also proposed special exemptions for parents of disabled children, stating that the tax-free income limit for the taxpayer parents or legal guardians of disabled individuals will be increased by an additional Tk 50,000 compared to the current limit. Currently, the tax-free income limit for the general individual category is Tk 375,000, but for parents of disabled children, this limit will be Tk 425,000. This additional Tk 50,000 benefit will apply for each disabled child.
Additionally, the government has proposed to set the general tax-free income limit at Tk 500,000 for disabled and third gender individual taxpayers in the upcoming fiscal year.
The proposed national budget for the fiscal year 2026-27, themed 'Journey towards a democratic, humane, and inclusive economy,' is set at Tk 938,000 crore. In contrast, the total revenue target is set at Tk 695,000 crore, resulting in an overall budget deficit of Tk 243,000 crore.
To cover this budget deficit, the government plans to raise funds from both domestic and foreign sources. This includes Tk 116,000 crore from foreign loans and grants and Tk 127,000 crore from domestic sources. Within domestic sources, Tk 112,000 crore is planned to be raised from the banking system, and Tk 15,000 crore from savings certificates and other sources.
The proposed budget estimates the country's gross domestic product (GDP) at Tk 68,30,240 crore. Additionally, the government has set targets to reduce inflation to 7.5% and increase economic growth to 6.5% in the upcoming fiscal year.
The budget was presented in the Jatiya Sangsad under the chairmanship of Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed and in the presence of Prime Minister Tareq Rahman. This is the 55th budget of the country and the first budget presentation by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury during the current government's term. According to the rules, the budget was approved by the cabinet in the afternoon before its presentation in the parliament and subsequently received the President's approval. The new budget will officially come into effect from July 1.
