Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Ravi Agarwal said on Monday that the simplified income tax rules, effective from April 1, will enable any salaried person without any additional income to verify the data through pre-filled returns and submit them directly.
Explaining the concept behind the new simplified rules and forms, the CBDT chairman said, “The objective is how to reduce unnecessary forms… and basically, focus more on capturing correct information.” (HT Photo)Referring to the recently enacted Income Tax Act, 2025, he said the government has drafted rules and forms in simple language for the convenience of taxpayers. Public feedback and comments have been invited before finalizing the rules, which will be notified by the first week of March, he said.
Also read: Now Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri asked about Russia’s oil imports. He explained
Explaining the idea behind the new simplified rules and forms, he said: “The objective is how to reduce unnecessary forms… and basically, focus more on capturing the right information.” He said the exercise would not only help the Income Tax department in data analysis, but also facilitate compliance. This will help the taxpayers in their filing income tax Helps broaden and deepen returns and ultimately the tax base.
According to an expert, the earlier version of pre-filing (introduced around 2019-20) still required taxpayers to navigate the complex ITR form, make manual entries and cross-verify multiple sections. This person hoped that the new pre-filled forms would be easier to use using advance technology.
More Read
After the President gave his assent to the Income Tax Act, 2025 in August, the CBDT has drafted the relevant Income Tax rules and forms after wide-based consultation and now it has sought feedback from stakeholders, which will be compiled and considered before finalizing the notification, he said. The new rules will replace the Income Tax Rules, 1962.
Presenting the Budget 2026-27 in Parliament on February 1, the Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Said: “In July 2024, I announced a comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act, 1961. It was completed in a record time and the Income Tax Act, 2025 will come into effect from April 1, 2026.”
“Simplified income tax rules and forms will be notified soon, giving enough time to taxpayers to familiarize themselves with their requirements. The forms have been redesigned in such a way that common citizens can comply without difficulty,” he said.
