New tax bill is a facelift, not a fix

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's recent tabling of the Income Tax Bill, 2025, marks a significant shift in India's tax landscape.

- SHREY MADAAN

The government claims the bill simplifies compliance, reduces ambiguity, and modernizes the tax system. However, while the effort to de-clutter tax laws is commendable, the bill fails to address key concerns that directly impact consumers, particularly regarding tax predictability, dispute resolution, and incentives for economic growth.

The government promoted the new bill as a victory for simplification, fewer words, forty per cent reduced redundancy of provisions and a streamlined structure overall. The replacement of "assessment year" with "tax year" aligns the Indian system with global norms, promising much-needed clarity for taxpayers and businesses.

But below this new coat of paint lies the same rust. The bill does not truly significantly overhaul the tax structure. Plenty of provisions from the 1961 act remain intact under new labels, forcing taxpayers to navigate through a maze of cross-references. Words don't cut complexity, especially if the system remains convoluted.