rediffGURU T S Khurana answers readers' personal income tax queries.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday introduced the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to provide tax exemptions to subscribers of the Unified Pension Scheme.
Believe it or not, it's really not all that tough. All you need to do is to get a bit proactive and collect some important documents, something you would need to do anyway, even if you use the services of a professional.
'Always keep accurate and transparent records of the source of the investment or property's funding: Loan agreements, transfer records of the property, and bank statements of co-owners if available.'
rediffGURU Yogendra Arora answers readers' personal income tax queries.
Ask rediffGURU and tax expert Mihir Tanna your income tax-related questions.
The income tax department has notified all seven income tax return forms for assessment year 2025-26. While ITR forms 1 and 4, which are filed by small and medium taxpayers, were notified on April 29; ITR-7, filed by trusts and charitable institutions, was notified on May 11.
'Bringing it back will help prevent reassessments of the income already disclosed.'
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.
'What we are witnessing is a massive anti-incumbency wave that has cut across all social and political divides.'
FMCG major Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) reported a 21 per cent increase in its March quarter consolidated net profit, reaching Rs 2,994 crore, primarily driven by higher volumes and a significant gain from the divestment of its stake in Nutritionalab.
'Whether it is an Indian entity or an overseas subsidiary of the entity that is making the payment, if the owner is Indian, then he or she is contributing to the Indian casualties.'
The DMK party in Tamil Nadu has released its manifesto for the upcoming Assembly elections, promising a range of welfare measures focused on women, education, and economic development, including financial assistance and job creation initiatives.
ITRs with zero tax liability have increased to 55.7 million in FY25.
'Stay invested but progressively reduce risk. Beyond a point, the objective should shift from maximising returns to avoiding unpleasant surprises.'
Here are the key numbers to watch out for in the Union Budget for 2025-26:
Under the TMC, Bengal has seen expansion of welfare, but not big-ticket private investment.
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's explosive innings and Arjun Tendulkar's half-century guided DY Patil Blue to a thrilling victory in the DY Patil T20 Cup.
Besides wrong selection of ITR form, many professionals claim deductions they are ineligible for.
ICICI Bank reported a 9.28 per cent increase in its consolidated net profit to Rs 14,755 crore for the March quarter of FY26, primarily driven by a nearly 90 per cent reduction in provisioning. The bank's executive director, Sandeep Batra, noted strong asset growth but expressed caution regarding the geopolitical situation in West Asia.
'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.'
Kerala's voters are sophisticated, educated, and unforgiving. They have once again made it clear that no government is entitled to remain in power. The Congress would do well to remember this, points out Ramesh Menon.
After social media outrage over a Budget proposal making it mandatory to get tax clearance certificates for going abroad, the government on Sunday clarified that the proposed amendment is not for all, and only those accused of financial irregularities or having substantial tax arrears need such clearance. The finance ministry, in the Finance Bill, 2024, has proposed to add the reference of the Black Money Act, 2015, to the list of Acts, under which any person should clear his liabilities to obtain the tax clearance certificate.
Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi has accused the ruling LDF in Kerala and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of being Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "B-team" and of secretly joining hands with the BJP, alleging a compromised leadership and lack of accountability.
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 petition points out that Shami's annual income, as disclosed in his Income Tax Return for 2021-22, stood at nearly Rs 48 crore, while she has been forced to live in "downtrodden conditions", struggling to meet even basic expenses.
In order to cripple and check the activities of wilful tax defaulters, the Income Tax department has decided to "block" Permanent Account Number (PAN) of such entities, get their LPG subsidy cancelled and take measures to ensure that they are not sanctioned loans.
Ask rediffGURU Naveenn Kummar your insurance mutual fund and personal finance-related questions.
Hindustan Unilever (HUL) exceeded consensus estimates in Q4FY26, driven by lower overheads and 6 per cent consolidated volume growth. However, the company anticipates further price hikes to counter an expected 8-10 per cent material cost inflation, while maintaining a mid-term margin guidance of 22.5-23.5 per cent.
A Pune-based businessman has accused self-styled godman Ashok Kharat of defrauding him of Rs 6 crore (600,000) under the guise of helping him establish a logistics business abroad. This is the eighth case registered against Kharat, who is already in police custody on separate charges.
Hiring demand strongest in ecommerce, tech startups, healthcare, and energy sectors, with Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Pune leading.
Companies may foot less of the tax bill for some time yet. The corporate share of net direct tax collections has been lower in 2024-25 than in previous years. The corporate segment accounted for 45.6 per cent of total net direct tax collections as of March 16, compared to 48.1 per cent on the same date in 2023-24 (FY24).
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 return filed could be treated as defective, invalid, or even be considered as not filed at all.
'Every year we import approximately $70 billion worth of gold -- closer to $72 billion in 2025-2026, an all-time record.' 'There is no parallel for this anywhere in the world. And this love for gold will not disappear overnight.'
Filing a belated return is far better than not filing at all.
More than 8 crore income tax returns for assessment year 2024-25 have been filed this year, of which 74 per cent taxpayers have opted for new tax regime, a source said. Also, around 75 lakh updated ITRs have been filed this year in high garnered additional taxes of Rs 8,000 crore.
Organise your PAN, Form 16, Form 26AS, AIS, and all other proofs before e-filing.
The Income Tax department on Friday said it has made available the excel utility for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY 2025-26, which will enable taxpayers to file their income tax returns. "The Excel Utility for ITR-1 and ITR-4 for AY 2025-26 has been enabled and is now available for taxpayers," the Income Tax department said in a post on X.
'Most tax notices arise not from wrongdoing, but from unintentional mismatch or ignorance.'
