Tax Reforms in India: Direct and Indirect Tax Structure

TOPIC CLASSIFICATION

Subject: Economy - Public Finance and Fiscal Policy
Sub-topic: Tax Structure - Direct vs Indirect Taxes, GST, Income Tax, Corporate Tax, Customs, Excise, Tax Buoyancy, Tax Reforms (1991 onwards), Tax-to-GDP Ratio, Taxation and Federalism
Mains GS Paper-III: Indian Economy - taxation structure, tax reforms, GST, direct tax code, tax evasion and black money.

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EXAMINER REASONING

Tax reforms are central to India's fiscal story - from the 1991 tax reforms to the landmark GST (2017). Prelims tests: direct vs indirect tax components, GST Council structure, tax slabs, cesses and surcharges, tax-to-GDP ratio, FRBM targets. Mains demands: (a) the pre-GST indirect tax regime - cascading taxes, state-vs-centre taxation, VAT, excise, (b) GST as a transformative reform - structure (CGST, SGST, IGST), rates, compensation mechanism, ITC, (c) direct tax reforms - Direct Taxes Code (attempted), corporate tax rate cut (2019), new income tax regime (2020), (d) tax buoyancy vs tax effort - India's low tax-to-GDP (~11.5% vs OECD ~34%), (e) tax evasion and black money - demonetisation, Benami Act, FATCA, (f) federal aspects - GST Council, divisible pool, Finance Commission. The examiner's favourite framing is: "Has GST achieved the goal of 'One Nation, One Tax'?"

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