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Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday urged the Income Tax department to work for the benefit of common people without making them run from pillar to post. She also went public with her disappointment at the "laidback" nature of government departments, which leads to illegal occupation or encroachments on government lands and underlined the need for integrity in conduct from all officials. Citing the challenges faced by the department in getting permissions to construct a building in the Nariman Point business district, which she inaugurated on Sunday, Sitharaman said these experiences, despite serving in the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), would have given them an idea of what the common man goes through. An IRS officer has the name of the Income Tax department behind him, a "powerful force to frighten people", Sitharaman reminded, adding that despite this, the officials had to run from pillar to post to get clearances from authorities to proceed with work on the 13-flo
The income tax department has increased the Cost Inflation Index for the current fiscal for calculating long-term capital gains arising from the sale of immovable property, securities and jewellery. The Cost Inflation Index (CII) is used by taxpayers to calculate gains from the sale of capital assets after adjusting inflation. The Cost Inflation Index for FY 2026-27 is 384, as per a notification of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). The CII for fiscal 2025-26 was 376. AMRG Global Managing Partner Rajat Mohan said the annual notification of the Cost Inflation Index reflects the government's commitment to maintaining an objective inflation-adjustment mechanism wherever indexation benefits continue under the new tax framework. It provides taxpayers, valuers and tax professionals with clarity for computing the indexed cost and reduces interpretational disputes, Mohan added. CII or Cost Inflation Index is notified under the Income-tax Act, 1961 every year. It is popularly used
Over 1.7 crore I-T returns have been filed for 2025-26 financial year so far, the Income Tax Department said on Saturday. The last date to file ITRs 1 and 2 for income earned in 2025-26 fiscal year is July 31. "Over 1.7 Crore taxpayers have already taken the smart step and filed their ITRs for A.Y. 2026-27," the department said on X. Of this, more than 10 lakh returns were filed on Friday. ITR Form 1 (Sahaj) is a simpler form that caters to a large number of small and medium taxpayers. Sahaj can be filed by a resident individual having annual income up to Rs 50 lakh and who has salary income, one house property, and agricultural income up to Rs 5,000 a year. ITR-2 is filed by individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) not having income from profits and gains in business or profession, but having income from capital gains.