Limning India’s Direct Tax Collection Contractions

Abstract

Indian direct tax collections have remained sluggish over the period coupled with the lesser tax buoyancy have compelled the government to collect revenues from the untapped or under-tapped sources to finance the galloping expenditure such as the health and defence. To achieve the fixed money value targets the taxmen have been putting excessive pressures on the taxpayers who have created a panic, likely to tantamount to infamous tax terrorism and tax disputes have arisen blocking substantial tax revenues in litigations. Taking this in to cognisance the government has attempted to rationalise the tax system by introducing tax amnesty scheme such as the Vivad-se-Viswas and by launching a Faceless Assessment Scheme (FAS) and tax charter, which is likely to address the tax disputes significantly. To increase the revenue, the best approach for the government is to broadening the tax base, reducing the tax rates, rationalising the tax system, formalising the unorganised sectors and by enhancing the lower household incomes substantially in lieu of serving notices to the non-filers is the need of the hour. JEL Codes: E62, H25