Nearly 92 pct of Sri Lanka's registered individual taxpayers yet to file returns

About 91.7 percent of Sri Lanka's registered individual taxpayers have yet to submit income tax returns for the 2025/2026 assessment year ahead of the November deadline, the Inland Revenue Department said.

Deputy Commissioner General J.M.S.S. Rathnawardene said nearly 1.2 million individual taxpayers are registered, but only about 100,000 returns have been filed since online submissions opened on July 1.

He urged taxpayers not to wait until the last minute, noting that returns must be filed even by those with no taxable income or whose taxes have already been deducted from salaries or interest earnings.

Failure to submit a return could result in a fine of up to 400,000 Sri Lankan rupees (about 1,200 U.S. dollars), additional assessments or legal action, he said.

A person convicted by a Magistrate's Court could face up to six months' imprisonment.

The department said returns must be submitted online through its Revenue Administration Management Information System.