'Most tax notices arise not from wrongdoing, but from unintentional mismatch or ignorance.'
Filing a belated return is far better than not filing at all.
The time taken by the income-tax department to process refunds has dropped sharply from 93 days in 2013.
As the new Income Tax (I-T) Act, 2025 moves towards implementation from April 1, 2026, the finance ministry is reviewing and simplifying the compliance forms used by charitable institutions. Debjyoti Das, principal chief commissioner of income tax (exemption), said the new Act has already reorganised exemption provisions into a clearer and more coherent structure, and the accompanying procedures and forms are now being examined.
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.
Moody's Ratings on Tuesday said tax cuts in the current fiscal has dented India's revenue growth, leaving less scope for fiscal policy support for the economy.
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.
Quoting an incorrect PAN during property registration can invite penalties and prosecution.
Avoid donating without checking the receipt proforma showing the political party's ECI registration number and PAN.
rediffGURU Vipul Bhavsar answers readers' personal income tax queries.
The NSO previously tried to collect household income data in its ninth (1955), 15th (1959), 19th (1964), and 24th (1969) rounds (July 1969-June 1970), but these efforts were not completed, partly due to non-responsiveness by respondents.
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.
A total of nine premises in the state's capital Ranchi and Jamshedpur are being raided in an operation that started early morning. A security team of the CRPF is assisting the I-T sleuths, the sources said.
The Income Tax Department has clarified that the deadline for ITR filing for Assessment Year 2025-26 is September 15 and there is no further extension as circulated on social media. In a late night post on X on September 14, the department termed "fake" a statement in circulation on social media stating that the due date of filing ITRs has been further extended to September 30, 2025.
The Income Tax department on Monday invited public inputs for review of the six-decade old I-T Act with regard to simplification of language, litigation reduction, compliance reduction, and obsolete provisions. Pursuant to the Budget announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for a comprehensive review of the Income-tax Act, 1961, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had set up an internal committee to oversee the review and make the Act concise, clear, and easy to understand, which will reduce disputes, litigation, and provide greater tax certainty to taxpayers.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said she is likely to introduce the new income tax bill, which will replace the six-decade-old I-T Act, in the Lok Sabha in the coming week.
The Income Tax Department has slapped a penalty of Rs 944.20 crore on IndiGo, which said it will contest the order that is "erroneous and frivolous". The order was received by InterGlobe Aviation, the parent of the country's largest airline IndiGo, on Saturday.
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.
'The finance minister missed yet another opportunity to simplify the income tax structure in the Budget.' 'This was an opportune moment to get rid of the old tax system entirely and move fully to the new system,' asserts M Govinda Rao, member of the 14th Finance Commission.
'If our Budget allows, we may implement both measures -- making income up to Rs 10 lakh tax-free and introducing a 25 per cent slab for income between Rs 15 lakh and Rs 20 lakh.'
A taxpayer who does not revise their return within the stipulated deadline would be stuck with the original return, including its errors.
'Going forward, the encouragement would be to move to the new tax regime.'
The income tax department has extended the date for filing audit report for 2023-24 by 7 days till October 7. In a circular, the I-T department said considering the difficulties faced by taxpayers in electronic filing of various audit reports under the Income Tax Act, the deadline is being extended from September 30 to October 7.
Lower rates effectively increase disposable income, strengthen purchasing capacity, and support broader consumption growth.
Maharashtra Minister Sanjay Shirsat received an Income Tax notice regarding an increase in his assets between the 2019 and 2024 elections. He initially claimed MP Shrikant Shinde also received a notice but later retracted the statement.
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.
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.
'File all the supporting documents in response to the allegation since there is a possibility of the proceedings getting dropped at that stage if the reply is satisfactory.'
'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.
'With new technology and stricter checks, cheating on taxes is just not worth it anymore.'
Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw countered Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg on Monday on his claim that after the COVID-19 pandemic, most incumbent governments, including the one in India, lost elections in 2024, asserting that his statement was 'factually incorrect'.
Disclosing an individual's income-tax returns is tantamount to violating the person's fundamental right to privacy as recognised by the Constitution.
The contrast with the old Income-Tax Act is stark. The 1961 law ran into 512,000 words; the 2025 one pares that down to 259,000. Chapters have been cut from 47 to 23, while sections have reduced from 819 to 536. One of the clearest changes is terminological. The confusing twin concepts of 'assessment year' and 'previous year' have been scrapped.
'The original provision will be restored. AMT is meant only for those claiming deductions, not for firms earning regular income like capital gains,' a senior government official said.
The Income-Tax (I-T) Department has detected widespread tax evasion involving cryptocurrencies and, according to media reports, has issued emails to thousands of defaulting taxpayers seeking transaction details. Investors must understand the tax rules governing crypto assets and respond promptly to these emails.
Opposition parties allege the Modi government is attempting to turn India into a 'dictatorship' with the introduction of three Bills that seek to provide for removal of the prime minister, chief ministers and ministers arrested on serious charges, and vowed to oppose it 'tooth and nail'.
'There is no retrospective changing of the law, only its simplification.'
'As a result of delays, the desired reliefs are not coming for taxpayers.'
Errors in filing income-tax returns frequently lead to scrutiny notices, additional liabilities, or delayed refunds.
rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries.
