CBIC lays down plan for supportive, people-focused tax regime

Mint

4 hours ago

New Delhi: The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), the government's indirect tax policy body, has laid down an annual plan for a supportive, people-focused and tech-driven tax administration for FY26, its chairperson Sanjay Kumar Agarwal said.
In a communication to field officers, Agarwal told different zonal offices to prepare their own annual strategies based on the priorities set by the CBIC.
The plan covers areas like GST, customs, human resource optimization, grievance redressal and capacity building among others, Agarwal said in the communication posted on CBIC's website. The plan reflects an 'aspiration for a facilitative, technology-driven, and citizen-centric tax administration,' Agarwal said.
'A decentralized, yet coordinated approach will be vital in ensuring that our efforts are responsive, measurable, and impactful throughout the year,' Agarwal stated.
The central government has estimated an indirect tax collection of ₹ 17.3 trillion in the current financial year, expecting an 8.35% annual growth collectively from central excise duty, customs and GST.
On GST, authorities have gradually increased the disclosure requirements to keep an eye on different points in the supply chain.
Central and state GST authorities have also increasingly lowered the monetary threshold for various reporting requirements. This enables them to ensure that economic activity does not go unreported and that GST is collected.
Customs duty collections—both basic customs duty and IGST on imports—will depend on the value of imports, while excise duty receipts will depend on consumption growth in fossil fuels.
The CBIC's emphasis on a 'facilitative' tax administration comes in the context of signals from policy makers to ensure that ease of doing business is not compromised while collecting taxes.
Last month, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman cautioned regulators that foreign investors were watching and any delays in approvals, lengthy litigation, and transparency gaps could hamper India's ability to strike trade deals in an uncertain global environment, Mint reported on 20 May.
Last year, the then revenue secretary Sanjay Malhotra had cautioned tax officials to be careful not to hurt the economy's interests in the bid to mop up increased revenue.