The new law seeks to simplify tax laws, reduce compliance burden and cost, improve ease of doing business, enhance transparency, strengthen digital integration, and promote a more trust-based and citizen-centric tax administration
The new Income Tax Act which came into force on 1 April 2026 assures that the taxpayers are looked at with respect and not with suspicion, Pune Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Medha Kulkarni said on Friday. She was addressing as Chief Guest at Prarambh 2026 – an event organised by the office of the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Pune.
Kulkarni said that simpler and transparent taxation systems are essential for a modern democracy and a developed India. She congratulated the Department for the ambitious programme that brings simplicity, clarity and spirit of ‘Nagarik Devo Bhava’. She stated that easier laws reduce compliance burden, particularly for honest taxpayers, middle-class families, startups, MSMEs, women entrepreneurs and young professionals. She added that the reforms reflect the Government of India’s larger vision of Digital India, Ease of Doing Business and Viksit Bharat by 2047.
The event was organised to create awareness regarding the Income-tax Act, 2025 and the Income-tax Rules, 2026, which came into effect from 1 April 2026.
Vivek Wadekar, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Pune, said, that the new Income-tax Act, 2025, has been designed to make tax laws simpler, clearer and easier to understand for taxpayers. He stated that over decades numerous amendments had made the earlier law lengthy and complex, resulting in increased compliance burden and interpretational issues. He added that the new framework seeks to reduce litigation, improve taxpayer convenience and faith, lower compliance costs and time, and support ease of doing business through a modern, digitally enabled and trust-based administration.
Lila Poonawalla, noted industrialist and philanthropist, and Pradeep Bhargava, eminent industry leader and former President of MCCIA, were present at the event as Guests of Honour. Poonawalla appreciated the Department’s efforts towards stakeholder outreach and welcomed the unique trust-based and taxpayer-friendly reforms while Bhargava highlighted the importance of simplified and technology-enabled tax administration for improving business confidence and economic growth.
Punit Daga, Joint Chif Commissioner of Income Tax, explained in a brief presentation how the new law has eliminated the lengthy, complex provisions of the old law and highlighted that the new law has 536 sections as compared with 819 in the old law, 333 rules (511 earlier) and 150 forms (390 earlier). He stressed that the new law is scripted in 2.6 lakh words as against 5.12 lakh words in the earlier law. He added that the new concept of Tax Year now combines the concepts of previous year and assessment year, thereby doing away the confusion over the two.
Abhinav Kumbhar, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, said in his welcome remarks that there are 23 districts under the Pune Region and the Department intends to hold such familiarising events across the region in the near future.
Assistant Commisioner of Income Tax Tanmayi Desai offered pertinent compering and effectively connected the thoughts expressed by the speakers.
Satyam Shrivastava, Addional Commisioner of Income Tax, proposed the vote of thanks.
