PM Modi Was Always In Support Of Slashing Tax Slabs, Says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

She added that the thought process behind revising the tax slabs was to simplify the tax process and make compliance easier for the taxpayers.

Sitharaman stated that emphasis behind the reforms in the income tax regime was to make it more user-friendly.

Source : PTI

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman described the Union Budget as by the people, for the people, of the people, and said that the Prime Minister was in full support of slashing taxes.

In an interview with PTI, the minister said it didn’t take much convincing for the PM to approve the changes in the tax slabs. Rather, she added that more work was required to convince the bureaucrats about revising the taxes. “The more work that was needed, was needed for convincing the board. Because they have to be sure of revenue generation. It is for them also to feel sure that the field formations will be doing their job and not denying the legitimate revenues that will be raised so they weren’t wrong,” she said.

She added that the thought process behind revising the tax slabs was to simplify the tax process and make compliance easier for the taxpayers. The minister clarified that the new income tax bill would pay attention to the whole financial scenario and not focus on the tax rates.

EXCLUSIVE | VIDEO: Speaking to PTI (@PTI_News) in her first video interview to a private media on the Union Budget 2025-26, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) on tax relief says, "There are a couple of things, which have been in the works for some time. One… pic.twitter.com/6bpjpeuMr0

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) February 2, 2025

Sitharaman stated that emphasis behind the reforms in the income tax regime was to simplify the language, reduce the burden of compliance, and to make it more user-friendly. “As specified in the July Budget, it wasn’t talking about rate restructuring. Although for several years now, we have been looking at the ways in which the rates can be lot more tax-payer friendly. There was this voice of the middle class which felt like they were ending up paying the tax nevermind, they were absolutely proud and happy to be taxpayers of the country, but also felt they didn’tt seem to have much coming in the way of redressing their problems,” the finance minister said.

She appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said his government has always listened to the people and acted on it. “He (PM) meets them, interacts with them, gets their inputs... just as he would also talk with the most deprived sections or let's say the tribals, particularly the vulnerable tribal groups... just as Rashtrapati ji was very keen on addressing their problems, PM also listens to all sections... So, I am very happy to be part of this government, which literally hears the voice and responds. It's not just 'alright, we have heard it, we can't...'; that's never the case, we should find a way is the case,” Sitharaman added.