Politics · Sri Lanka Bureau
Over 1 million Sri Lankan taxpayers yet to file 2025/26 returns
The Inland Revenue Department has warned that approximately 1.1 million registered individual taxpayers have not yet submitted their income tax returns for the 2025/2026 assessment year, with only around 100,000 filings received to date.
LSN Sri Lanka ·
Sri Lanka's tax authority has sounded an alarm over the significantly low compliance rate for the ongoing income tax filing season, with Deputy Commissioner General of the Inland Revenue Department J.M.S.S. Rathnawardana revealing that just 100,000 of the 1.2 million registered individual taxpayers have submitted their returns so far.
The disclosure was made during a media briefing held at the Department of Government Information, highlighting concerns about widespread non-compliance among the country's taxpaying population for the 2025/2026 year of assessment.
The figures underscore a persistent challenge facing revenue authorities in securing timely tax filings from individual taxpayers. The low filing rate—representing less than 10 percent of the required submissions—suggests potential issues with taxpayer awareness, administrative burden, or compliance culture.
The IRD's appeal comes as the department looks to improve revenue collection amid the country's broader economic priorities. Tax officials have typically urged citizens to meet statutory deadlines to avoid penalties and ensure the smooth functioning of the national revenue system.