Ravi Agrawal re-appointed as CBDT Chairman
The government has re-appointed Ravi Agrawal as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) for another year starting from 1 July, an official order said on Saturday.
The decision was made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), according to a statement from the department of personnel and training. The appointment is on contract basis from 1 July to 30 June 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, the statement said.
ACC also cleared the appointment of 1989 batch Indian Police Service officer Parag Jain as secretary, research and analysis wing (R&AW) under cabinet secretariat for two years, showed a separate order.
Ravi Agarwal has been leading the tax authority's efforts to transform tax administration to a trust-based one, which relies on voluntary compliance.
In the Union budget for 2025-26, the government announced personal income tax relief to middle-income earners, which is estimated to be worth ₹ 1 trillion in terms of revenue forgone.
The move could spur consumption, boost the economy and in turn boost revenue receipts as well.
Agarwal is also closely involved in drafting a new Income Tax Bill to replace the existing law. The government believes tax reform is key to realising the country's development goals.
The new Income Tax Bill is expected to be clear and direct in text and in terms of both chapters and words, only close to half of the present law. A Parliamentary panel is currently looking into it. The new Bill is expected to be simple to understand for taxpayers and the tax administration, leading to tax certainty and reduced litigation.
Under Agarwal's watch, the CBDT also rolled out a Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme in 2024 to resolve income tax disputes pending in appeal.
The scheme has received a great response, with nearly 33,000 taxpayers having availed of this scheme to settle their disputes, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget speech in February.
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India Gazette
7 hours ago
- India Gazette
Ravi Agrawal re-appointed CBDT Chairman
New Delhi [India], June 28 (ANI): The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the re-appointment of Ravi Agrawal, as Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on a contract basis for one year, effective from July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026, or until further orders, according to an official order. Last year, Agrawal, a 1988-batch IRS officer, was appointed as the new chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the administrative body for the Income Tax Department. With the reappointment, the CBDT is expected to move forward with various pending initiatives aimed at streamlining tax administration and enhancing taxpayer services nationwide. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet in April approved the appointment of four senior Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officers as Members of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT). The CBDT is the apex policy making body for the Income-tax department. The CBDT is headed by a chairman and can have six members who are in the rank of special secretary. The Board plays a crucial role in formulating policies for tax collection, combating tax evasion, and implementing various direct tax reforms. The Central Board of Direct Taxes is a statutory authority constituted under the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963. The officers of the Board in their ex-officio capacity also function as a Division of the Ministry dealing with matters relating to levy and collection of direct taxes. The Central Board of Revenue as the apex body of the Department, was entrusted with the task of administration of taxes. It came into existence as a result of the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1924. Initially, the Board was in charge of both direct and indirect taxes. Subsequently, the Board was split up into two, namely the Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Excise and Customs with effect from January 1, 1964. This bifurcation was brought about by constitution of two Boards u/s 3 of the Central Board of Revenue Act, 1963. (ANI)
NDTV
12 hours ago
- NDTV
Government Extends Top Tax Authority CBDT Chairman's Tenure By A Year
New Delhi: The government has extended the tenure of Ravi Agrawal as the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) by another year. The CBDT is the apex policymaking body of the Income Tax Department, and its chairman and members are senior Indian Revenue Service officers. "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved re-appointment of Ravi Agrawal, IRS as Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes on contract basis, for a period of one year with effect from July 1, 2025 till June 30, 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier," the government order stated. The re-appointment will be on the usual terms and conditions applicable to re-employed Central government officers, in relaxation of the Recruitment Rules. Agarwal, a 1988 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer from the income tax cadre, had succeeded Nitin Gupta, 1986 batch IRS officer, in June 2024 as Chairman of the CBDT. He was serving as a member of the CBDT (Administration) from July 2023 before his appointment as chairman. The CBDT is headed by a chairman and can have six members who are in the rank of special secretary. Meanwhile, CBDT has asked all the principal chief commissioners of Income Tax to exercise effective supervision over their assessing officers and make sure that questions sent by them to a taxpayer are justified, and that irrelevant queries are completely avoided. The apex body has directed Income Tax Department officials to ensure due application of mind while issuing notices for scrutiny and assessment of a taxpayer's return, emphasising that all queries should be relevant and specific. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman earlier this week asked income-tax officials to ensure that tax compliance processes are made simpler, more transparent and taxpayer-friendly. The Finance Minister also directed all principal chief commissioners of income tax to prioritise and accelerate the disposal of disputed tax demands that are currently pending before the faceless appellate authorities, the finance ministry said in a statement. About 577,000 appeals were pending at the start of the current fiscal year. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is targeting to address more than 225,000 appeals in FY 2025-26 involving over Rs 10 lakh crore of disputed demand. The Finance Minister highlighted that prompt and time-bound disposal of taxpayer grievances is essential for ensuring responsive governance.
Mint
14 hours ago
- Mint
Ravi Agrawal re-appointed as CBDT Chairman
The government has re-appointed Ravi Agrawal as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) for another year starting from 1 July, an official order said on Saturday. The decision was made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), according to a statement from the department of personnel and training. The appointment is on contract basis from 1 July to 30 June 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, the statement said. ACC also cleared the appointment of 1989 batch Indian Police Service officer Parag Jain as secretary, research and analysis wing (R&AW) under cabinet secretariat for two years, showed a separate order. Ravi Agarwal has been leading the tax authority's efforts to transform tax administration to a trust-based one, which relies on voluntary compliance. In the Union budget for 2025-26, the government announced personal income tax relief to middle-income earners, which is estimated to be worth ₹ 1 trillion in terms of revenue forgone. The move could spur consumption, boost the economy and in turn boost revenue receipts as well. Agarwal is also closely involved in drafting a new Income Tax Bill to replace the existing law. The government believes tax reform is key to realising the country's development goals. The new Income Tax Bill is expected to be clear and direct in text and in terms of both chapters and words, only close to half of the present law. A Parliamentary panel is currently looking into it. The new Bill is expected to be simple to understand for taxpayers and the tax administration, leading to tax certainty and reduced litigation. Under Agarwal's watch, the CBDT also rolled out a Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme in 2024 to resolve income tax disputes pending in appeal. The scheme has received a great response, with nearly 33,000 taxpayers having availed of this scheme to settle their disputes, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget speech in February.
