Income Tax Department Holds Mega Outreach Programme In Mumbai To Explain New Income Tax Act, 2025
Mumbai: The Income Tax Department organised a major outreach programme in Mumbai to create awareness about the newly implemented Income Tax Act, 2025, which officially came into force from April 1, 2026. The event was held at Patkar Hall, SNDT Women’s University campus, under the nationwide initiative “Prarambh 2026”.
The Income Tax Department organised a major outreach programme.
The Income Tax Department organised a major outreach programme.
Organised by the Office of the Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai, the programme witnessed participation from more than 700 stakeholders including Chartered Accountants, industry leaders, tax professionals, corporate executives and taxpayers.
The new Income Tax Act, 2025 replaces the six-decade-old Income Tax Act, 1961 and aims to simplify tax laws, reduce legal complexity and make compliance easier for citizens in a digitally evolving economy.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Alok Kumar, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Mumbai, said the objective of the new legislation is to make tax laws simpler, clearer and more taxpayer-friendly. He stated that the earlier law had become difficult to navigate after decades of amendments and complicated provisions. The new framework, he said, has been designed to support ease of compliance through a modern and digitally enabled system.
According to the Department, the new law reduces the number of sections from 819 in the 1961 Act to 536 sections in the new Act. The word count has also been significantly reduced from nearly 5.12 lakh words to around 2.6 lakh words, making the legislation shorter and easier to understand.
The Department explained that the new Act introduces the concept of a single “Tax Year”, replacing the earlier “Previous Year” and “Assessment Year” terminology that often created confusion among taxpayers. Officials said this change aligns India’s tax structure with international practices and improves clarity.
Several complex provisos and explanations under the earlier law have also been removed and replaced with simpler sub-sections and tables for easier reference. Technical legal terms such as “notwithstanding” have been replaced with simpler language like “irrespective of” to improve readability for common taxpayers.
The Department also highlighted that procedural matters have been shifted to Rules to make the Act more concise and flexible. Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and Tax Collected at Source (TCS) provisions have been consolidated into fewer sections for better understanding and reduced duplication.
Industry leaders attending the event welcomed the reforms.
Dr. Niranjan Hiranandani, Managing Director of Hiranandani Group, said the simplified tax framework would strengthen transparency, improve trust between citizens and government and support ease of doing business in India. He added that the digitally transparent system would help attract investments and contribute towards the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
Actor Arjun Kapoor appreciated the Income Tax Department for taking steps to simplify tax-related procedures and improve public awareness. He said the new digital initiatives would help citizens handle tax matters more efficiently.
Former ICAI President C.S. Nanda said the new Act would encourage greater use of Artificial Intelligence in tax administration and help reduce litigation substantially.
During the programme, officials made detailed presentations explaining the key features of the new law. Two taxpayer assistance initiatives were also launched — “Kar Setu”, a detailed FAQ booklet for taxpayers, and “Kar Saathi”, an AI-powered chatbot designed to provide round-the-clock assistance.
An interactive session allowed participants to raise queries regarding return filing, tax payments and implementation of the new Act. A street play based on the provisions of the law was also performed to spread awareness in a simple and engaging manner.
The outreach programme formed part of a larger national effort by the Income Tax Department to ensure a smooth transition to the new tax regime and improve taxpayer awareness across the country.
