Highlights of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s launch of the ‘Transparent Taxation, Honoring the Honest’ platform to further its initiative to reform direct taxes in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 13 launched the ‘Transparent Taxation, Honoring the Honest’ platform to further its initiative to reform direct taxes in India.

Here are the key highlights:

Here are the highlights from the Prime Minister’s address: 

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that 'Transparent Taxation - Honouring The Honest' platform will introduce reforms such as faceless assessment, faceless appeal, and taxpayers charter. Faceless assessment and taxpayers charter will come into force from today whereas faceless appeal reform will be available from Sept 25.

2. PM Modi said honest taxpayers play a crucial role in national development. Prime Minister Modi during his virtual address highlighted that the honest taxpayers play a crucial role in national development. He mentioned that when the life of an honest taxpayer is simplified, he progresses which leads to progress of the nation too.

4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his virtual address pointed out that in the last six years, the country has witnessed the evolution of a new governance model in tax administration. Complexity, tax, litigation decreased whereas transparency, tax compliance and trust on the taxpayer increased, he said.

5. “Out of all the tax returns in the year 2012-13, scrutiny of 0.94 per cent was done. In the year 2018-19, this figure has come down to 0.26 per cent. The scrutiny of cases has reduced by almost one fourth,” Prime Minister Modi said

7. Urging people to pay taxes due to them, the Prime Minister said that while it is the responsibility of tax officials to deal with taxpayers with dignity, people should also consider paying taxes as their responsibility.

8. PM Modi also pointed out that the number of taxpayers have increased by 2.5 crore after so many reforms, but this number is minimal in this country of 130 crore people.