When every Indian pays tax, I-T officers may not be needed: Minister

The number of taxpayers in the country has increased in the last eight years, says Jitendra Singh

India’s tax compliance will improve as the economy is freed up to grow, said Union Minister Jitendra Singh at an event on Wednesday to mark the 75th year of independence

“The economy has to develop, you cannot regulate it,” said Singh, minister of state for science and technology. When every Indian starts paying tax, there might not be a need for an income tax officer.

The Income Tax Department has evolved along with society, marking changes in the economic behaviour of people. “We are an evolving society. No single aspect can evolve in isolation,” said Singh, citing the importance of behavioural economics.

The number of taxpayers in the country has increased in the last eight years and the atmosphere of "tax terror" has gradually waned after Prime Minister Modi assumed office, PTI quoted the minister as saying.

He said the initiatives like “Give it Up” led to the Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme that provided 50 million LPG connections to women belonging to below poverty line families.

Singh was speaking at the release of an e-book called “Aarohan” as part of the celebrations of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav organized by the Ministry of Finance. The event was co-chaired by Sangeeta Singh, chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).