Govt grants VAT waiver on BTV's FIFA World Cup broadcast rights

The government has exempted Bangladesh Television (BTV) from paying value-added tax (VAT) on its FIFA World Cup 2026 broadcast rights. The Internal Resources Division (IRD) issued a notification on July 2, waiving VAT on the Tk 73 crore BTV spent to secure the rights.

BTV purchased the all-media broadcast rights directly from FIFA to televise the World Cup matches nationwide. The amount is about Tk 25 crore lower than what it paid for the previous tournament.

The Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase (CCGP) approved the expenditure on June 7 at a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury.

According to the notification, the VAT exemption took effect retrospectively from June 23. The notification was published in the Bangladesh Gazette by the IRD.

The IRD attached four conditions to the VAT waiver. The exemption applies only to BTV's payment for the broadcast rights and does not cover any other services.

Sub-licensee organisations, including OTT platforms, will not be eligible for the VAT exemption. Only BTV's direct purchase of the broadcast rights qualifies for the benefit, the notification said.

BTV must submit full payment details to the relevant VAT commissionerate within 10 days of making the payment. Failure to comply with the conditions will result in the recovery of the exempted VAT in accordance with existing laws.