However, from April 1, 2026, transactional forms such as tax deducted at source statements, remittances, Form 60, and Form 15G/15H would operate under the new simplified framework.
The FM also said the government has proposed a joint panel of Corporate Affairs Ministry and CBDT for incorporation of income computation and disclosure standards.
The CBDT is investigating Jane Street for possibly misusing the India-Singapore tax treaty.
'Among corporates, about 60% of income is now reported under the new tax regime.'
The new income tax returns (ITR) form based on the I-T Act, 2025, will be notified prior to 2027-28 fiscal year, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said on Monday. The CBDT committee on simplification of ITR forms is carrying out extensive consultations with tax experts, institutional bodies, and field formations of the I-T Department, he said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
The Income Tax department will start sending SMS/emails to about 25,000 individuals, who are part of the "high-risk" cases identified for non-disclosure of foreign assets in the income tax returns (ITRs) filed for Assessment Year (AY) 2025-26, sources said.
The Supreme Court has sought responses from the Centre and others on a plea challenging the validity of a provision of the Income Tax Act that allows political parties to receive "anonymous" cash donations below Rs 2,000.
In September last year, India received financial information from over 108 countries regarding foreign accounts and income in the form of interest and dividend earned outside India.
An Income-Tax Department internal committee reviewing the old direct tax law to pave the way for a new one has "largely" received suggestions for "simplifying" the language, better "structuring" the provisions and enlarging the ambit of schemes like presumptive taxation, CBDT chairman Ravi Agrawal said Sunday. Speaking to PTI during a post-Budget interview at his North Block office, Agrawal said the panel also "studied" the deliberations and processes of countries like the UK, Australia and some others where a similar tax law simplification exercise was undertaken.
The Income Tax department is working on simplified I-T forms and aims to notify new rules by December-end to give effect to the new I-T Act, which will come into force from April 1 next year, a senior tax official said on Monday.
The income tax department will allow people to file 'belated return' until December 31.
The Budget announcement of zero tax for earnings upto Rs 12 lakh per annum and the rejig of tax slabs across the board should prompt more than 90 per cent of individual taxpayers to embrace the new tax regime as compared to the about 75 per cent as of now, CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal said. Agrawal also highlighted the government's focus on "non-intrusive" tax administration through enhanced use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and simplified tax processes for common taxpayers. He emphasized the benefits of the new tax regime (NTR), which offers simple calculations and allows taxpayers to file their ITR without professional help. The CBDT chief stated that the Budget provisions related to income tax payment benefit all income earners, not just those earning Rs 12 lakh per annum, creating a positive sentiment in the economy and propelling growth. The department is also harnessing technology, including AI and data analytics, to widen and deepen the tax base, resulting in increased compliance and tax revenue. Agrawal further highlighted the positive impact of data availability and simplified tax processes on compliance rates, citing examples of taxpayers filing revised returns and paying taxes after being prompted by the department's data analysis.
The government on Monday extended the due date for filing income tax returns (ITRs) for Assessment Year 2025-26 by a day to September 16 as technical glitches disrupted filings on the last day. A record over 7.3 crore ITRs were filed till September 15, surpassing last year's 7.28 crore, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in a post on X.
'...so cases that arose under the existing Act will be adjudicated under the old provisions.' 'Care has been taken to ensure that the new I-T Act does not give rise to interpretational issues.'
The new Income Tax Bill, passed by Lok Sabha on Monday, has retained the provisions regarding ITR filing for TDS claims and tax exemptions for anonymous donations made to all religious-cum-charitable trusts, as in the existing tax laws. The original Income Tax Bill, which was brought in Parliament in February, had done away with this exemption and the ITR filing flexibility for claiming TDS refunds.
Taxpayers have been advised to file accurate particulars of their income and contact details, and not to fall prey to agents or intermediaries promising undue refunds.
'With new technology and stricter checks, cheating on taxes is just not worth it anymore.'
'We want to clear these pending refunds so that no issues arise once the new I-T Act takes effect.'
The time taken by the income-tax department to process refunds has dropped sharply from 93 days in 2013.
'The new Bill introduces no policy or rate changes, leaving financial planning strategies largely unaffected.'
'The considerations for choosing between the old and new tax regimes remain essentially unchanged.'
The Congress had moved the poll panel claiming a mismatch in actual and declared assets in the affidavit filed by Chandrasekhar, who is in the fray against former UN diplomat Shashi Tharoor.
'As a result of delays, the desired reliefs are not coming for taxpayers.'
'Experts and stakeholders have raised concern over the refund provision in the draft Bill. That was a drafting error, which will be rectified,' a government official said.
The Income Tax department on Friday said it has notified I-T return forms 2, 3 and 5 for filing tax returns for assessment year 2024-25. The ITR-1, which is filed by individuals having a total income of up to Rs 50 lakh, and ITR-6 for companies were notified earlier in December 2023, and January 2024, respectively.
Until now, salaried individuals having income under the head LTCG were required to file Form ITR-2.
Central GST (CGST) field offices will remain open on March 29-31, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) said on Friday. The CBIC directive came days after a similar directive from the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) regarding income tax department offices "to facilitate completion of pending departmental work.
The income tax department has notified ITR forms 1 and 4 for assessment year (AY) 2025-26 that are to be filed by individuals and entities with total income of up to Rs 50 lakh a year. Now individuals having long-term capital gains of up to Rs 1.25 lakh in a fiscal year can also file ITR-1.
The return filed could be treated as defective, invalid, or even be considered as not filed at all.
Tax evaders, BEWARE! The Income Tax department is using AI data analytics to bust fake deductions, flag HRA fraud, and trace digital footprints.
Central Board of Direct Taxes on Tuesday said stakeholders can send their inputs for drafting Income-tax rules and related forms pertaining to the proposed Income Tax Bill, 2025. The Income Tax Bill, 2025 was introduced in Parliament last month and is currently under examination by the Select Committee for detailed consideration.
The income-tax (I-T) department has issued showcause notices under Section 68 of the Income-Tax Act to several startups over funds routed through Singapore, seeking explanations for investments received over the past five years, people familiar with the development said. The department is questioning the source, identity, and creditworthiness of overseas investors in these transactions, they said.
Gyanesh Kumar, a 1988-batch Kerala Cadre IAS officer, has been appointed as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India. Kumar, who was previously an Election Commissioner, will serve until January 26, 2029. His appointment comes amidst controversy as the Congress party demanded the government defer its decision until the Supreme Court concludes its hearing on a petition challenging the composition of the selection panel. Kumar's tenure will see him oversee several state assembly elections, including Bihar, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
The income tax department on Saturday said it has launched a campaign to send messages to taxpayers who have not disclosed high-value foreign income or assets in their ITRs for AY 2024-25. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has launched a Compliance-Cum-Awareness Campaign for Assessment Year (AY) 2024-25 to assist taxpayers in accurately completing Schedule Foreign Assets (Schedule FA) and reporting income from foreign sources (Schedule FSI) in their income tax returns (ITR).
Net direct tax collection grew 13.13 per cent to over Rs 21.26 lakh crore so far this fiscal aided by by higher advance tax mop up, government data showed on Monday. During the year, the government collected Rs 10.44 lakh crore from four instalments of advance tax as against Rs 9.11 lakh crore in the previous fiscal, registering a growth of 14.62 per cent.
The income tax department on Saturday extended the deadline for filing income tax returns by corporates by 15 days till November 15 for assessment year 2024-25. In a circular, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said the deadline will be extended from the earlier target date of October 31. The new deadline for Assessment Year 2024-25 (for furnishing tax returns for fiscal 2023-24) is November 15.
The BJP received the highest amount in large donations among national parties in the financial year 2023-24, with over Rs 2,243 crore declared from 8,358 donations, according to a report by poll rights body the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The report, based on data submitted to the Election Commission, highlighted trends in political donations above Rs 20,000. The total declared donations to national parties stood at Rs 2,544.28 crore from 12,547 contributions - a sharp 199 per cent increase compared to the previous year.
The government will introduce a new Income Tax bill next week to take forward the "trust first, scrutinise later" concept, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. In another major reform move, the minister announced that the Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the insurance sector will be increased to 100 per cent from 74 per cent.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Monday clarified that any deposit in the form of bonus or incentives credited in a user account will be considered net winnings, and subject to tax deduction, in case of withdrawal. If these are used only for playing, then it's not liable for tax deducted at source (TDS). Further, in case net winnings do not exceed Rs 100 a month, the applicable tax need not be deducted.
The new income tax regime for filing returns has been "sweetened" in the Budget 2023-24 and it will be beneficial for maximum number of taxpayers as they can enjoy a "reduced" tax rate, CBDT chairman Nitin Gupta said. Speaking to PTI during a post-Budget interview, Gupta said the intent of the government while announcing the new slabs and rates under the new tax regime is to gradually "do away with deductions and exemptions" so that the "long-standing demand of reduction of taxes for individual taxpayers and entities can be met." Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while presenting the Budget 2023-24 in the Parliament on Wednesday, said the government has made the new income tax regime more attractive for taxpayers and has thus brought about 'substantial changes' in its structure for the benefit of the middle class.
Paraphrasing Abraham Lincoln, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday described the Union Budget as "by the people, for the people, of the people", and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was fully behind the idea to cut taxes for the middle class but it took time to convince the bureaucrats. "We have heard the voice of the middle class" who had been complaining about their aspirations not being met despite being honest taxpayers, she told PTI in an interview.
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