What the study found
Taxpayers in Bangladesh reported frequent hassles when dealing with tax offices and public services, and they perceived a mismatch between what they pay in taxes and the quality of services they receive.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors conclude that these experiences shape attitudes toward taxation, and the study suggests that perceived service quality is linked to how taxpayers view the fairness of tax burdens.
What the researchers tested
The researchers used a cross-sectional survey of about 180 individual income taxpayers in Bangladesh. They described respondents’ socio-economic conditions and used descriptive statistics and cross-tabulations to examine reported experiences with tax offices and with health, education, transport, and private services.
What worked and what didn't
Many respondents were regular taxpayers with dependents in education, but they reported misbehavior and lack of cordiality from tax staff, requests for informal payments, and time-consuming procedures. They also described public health and education services as crowded, poorly managed, and low in quality, while dissatisfaction with private services was mainly about high costs and commercialization.
What to keep in mind
The abstract describes a cross-sectional survey and summary analyses, so the findings reflect a snapshot of reported experiences rather than changes over time. The available summary does not describe additional limitations beyond the survey scope.
Key points
- About 180 individual income taxpayers in Bangladesh were surveyed.
- Respondents reported misbehavior, lack of cordiality, informal payment requests, and slow procedures at tax offices.
- Public health and education services were described as crowded, poorly managed, and low in quality.
- Dissatisfaction with private services was mainly tied to high costs and commercialization.
- The study reports a perceived mismatch between tax burdens and service quality.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Bangladeshi taxpayers report poor service and tax office hassles
- Authors:
- Kazi Md. Nasir Uddin
- Publication date:
- 2026-01-26
- OpenAlex record:
- View
- Image credit:
- Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich on Pexels · Pexels License
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