Key Points
New tax legislation aims to modernize 1961 Income Tax Act
Bill seeks to widen tax net and increase digital accessibility
Proposed changes to benefit middle-class taxpayers and boost private consumption
The bill, which was granted approval in the Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, will be introduced in the Parliament next week before it is sent to the Parliament's Standing Committee on Finance.
Before the Income Tax Bill was cleared by the Cabinet, people in the know said that the legislation would likely provide directions to widen the tax net, given the contraction in the tax base following the exemption limit being raised to Rs 12 lakh in the Union Budget.
The current Income Tax Act was enforced in the country in 1961 and now, the new Income Tax Act is being made according to the needs of the 21st century to replace the existing law, according to sources close to the development.
A review committee was formed for the new Income Tax law in the country to replace the earlier cumbersome law. According to sources, the new Income Tax Bill has been prepared by the government on the recommendation of the committee.
In this era of technology and massive digitalisation, taxpayers can perform several things online on his or her own. In such a scenario, there will be smooth changes in the new I-T Bill for the common man who can understand it seamlessly online. This is an attempt to make the system simple and convenient for common people.
Along with this, the government's intention behind giving such a big relief to the taxpayers is to increase private consumption which would directly benefit the health of the economy.
