Faceless, Fair and Friendly

The Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, in her address on the occasion of the 165th Anniversary of the Income Tax Day celebrations in New Delhi, emphasised on a “Faceless, Fair and Friendly” Tax Administration — something taxpayers have been yearning for ages.

Every year, 24th July is celebrated as Income Tax Day in India. This day commemorates the introduction of Income Tax in India by Sir James Wilson in 1860. While this initial implementation laid the groundwork, it was the comprehensive Income-tax Act of 1922 that truly established a structured tax system in the country. This Act not only formalised various income tax authorities but also laid the foundation for a systematic administration framework¹. In 2010, for the first time, the Income Tax Department decided to celebrate 24th July to mark 150 years of the levy of the tax in India.

1. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage - posted on 21st August, 2024

However, the Ministry of Finance celebrated the 165^th anniversary of Income Tax Day in New Delhi on 21st August, 2024 and released a “My Stamp” dedicated to Income Tax Day. The Finance Minister hailed both taxpayers, for contributing to nation-building, and tax officials, for raising revenues for the country. She urged tax officials to write notices in simple and courteous languag