New Income Tax Bill introduced by Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament, Opposition stages walkout

The new Income Tax Bill 2025 was tabled in the Lok Sabha on February 13, following which the Opposition MPs staged a walkout.

Updated on: Feb 13, 2025, 17:17:35 IST

By HT News Desk

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has tabled the Income Tax Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha. The new bill aims to simplify the terminology used in tax laws in India, thereby making it easier for taxpayers to pay taxes and file returns.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman tabled the Income Tax Bill in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. (Sansad TV)

As soon as Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the bill amid a ruckus in the Parliament, several Opposition MPs were seen staging a walkout. It is not clear how many MPs walked out of the session in total.

Opposition raises objections

Speaking on objection raised by Opposition MP from Kerala's Kollam, NK Premachandran, on the new bill having more sections than the previous Income Tax Act from 1961, Sitharaman said, “He should understand where the law is today and where it is being reduced.”

Also read: New Income Tax Bill 2025: What are expected changes and how will they affect you?

“The Income Tax Act was originally enacted in 1961 and come into effect in 1962. At that time, they had only 298 sections…But as time went by…many more sections were added. As it stands today, there are 819 sections,” Sitharaman said. “From that 819, we're bringing it down to 536. So he should look at what it is today,” she added.

She claimed that 4,000 amendments have been made to the 1961 act since it was put into force, which are “being looked at now”.

Also read: New Income Tax Bill 2025: What is ‘tax year’ and how is it different from 'assessment year?

On TMC MP Professor Sougata Ray's objection about the changes in the new tax bill being “mechanical”, the minister responded, “They're not mechanical changes. Substantial changes are being made. Number of words have come down by half. Sections and chapters have come down. It is in plain simple English and plain simple Hindi.”

Bill to be sent to House committee

Sitharaman also suggested that the new Income Tax Bill 2025 be sent to a newly-constituted Select House Committee. “The terms and conditions regarding the committee will be decided by [Speaker Om Birla],” she said.

The committee will submit its report on the “first day of the next session”, she added.

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