What is Income tax

Recent tax changes are welcome, but India needs sustained reforms to address exemptions, reduce cascading taxes, improve compliance and broaden the tax base without distorting investment decisions.

Gross direct tax receipts rise 14% to ₹17.50 trillion, while refunds jump 25.9%; net collections reach 53.5% of FY27 Budget target, with corporate taxes leading growth

The Supreme Court ruled that failure to issue a mandatory notice under Section 143(2) invalidates income tax reassessment proceedings, even if taxpayers participate in them

The new Form 173A requires eligible foreign investors and BIS to disclose security holdings, interest income and capital gains to claim exemptions under the Income-tax Act, 2025

Under its SAKSHAM NUDGE initiative, the Income Tax Department has contacted professionals who have filed fewer than half the audit reports they submitted in the previous year

Preserve old valuation and inheritance records; document family lockers and explain the source of each holding

Rajasthan's State Tax Department detected potential tax liability of ₹22.79 crore at over 25 establishments during its crackdown on suspected GST evasion and fraudulent ITC claims.

The court said export quota premium could not be treated as export income because the transaction did not involve receipt of foreign exchange

Net direct tax collections rose 13% to ₹12.12 trillion, with corporate tax and STT driving growth despite a sharp rise in refunds

The dispute concerns whether tax reassessment notices can be issued by jurisdictional assessing officers or must be routed through the faceless assessment mechanism

India's tax system has come a long way since 1991, but simplifying GST, clearing tax disputes and improving taxpayer services remain key priorities

The Delhi High Court found procedural deficiencies and lack of reasoning in the ITAT's handling of seven appeals, and ordered fresh adjudication by another bench

The salary is largely fixed once your deductions are set, but the freelance side is where the planning happens, presumptive taxation keeps it simple and light.

More than 78 million income tax returns were filed for AY 2026-27 by August 31, including over 59 million ITR-1 and ITR-2 returns filed by July 31

The department is working with taxpayers and other stakeholders to reduce ambiguity and improve consistency as cross-border transactions and business structures become more complex

Entities located in districts along India's land borders and remitting significant amounts of money abroad have also been covered in the exercise

The government plans to widen tax incentives for offshore funds, electronics, data centres and diamond trading to attract long-term foreign investment and boost ease of doing business

The administration plans to table the Income Tax Amendment Bill in the lower house of Parliament as early as next week to replace the ordinance notified early June

Tax experts say one of the biggest misconceptions among taxpayers is that the income-tax department watches every small UPI transaction in real time

Legal heirs must bear in mind that the income tax return for the year of death must be filed and tax, if due, must be paid