**EDS: HANDOUT PHOTO MADE AVAILABLE FROM VP OFFICE ON FRIDAY, APRIL 29, 2022** Nagpur: Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu presents certificates and medals to the officer trainees of the 74th Batch of IRS (Income Tax), at National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) in Nagpur. (PTI Photo)
Nagpur, April 29 (PTI) Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Friday said taxes needed to be collected to increase revenue but it must be done in a manner which is not arbitrary and unjust but transparent and user-friendly.
Addressing the valediction ceremony of the 74th Batch of IRS (Income Tax) at NADT (National Academy of Direct Taxes), Nagpur, the VP cited an example from the Mahabharata about how tax collection must be like bees collecting nectar from flowers.
Bees collect nectar in such a way that the flower itself faces no harm, and tax collection by rulers must be based on similar principles, he said, adding this analogy was as relevant today as it was in ancient times.
"You must remember it and follow it in your career. We need to collect taxes and increase revenue but must do it in a manner that is not arbitrary and unjust. It should be transparent and user-friendly," he said.
Naidu said good tax administration was the bedrock of national development and one of the pillars of good governance, which makes the role of tax administrators very important if India needs to reach its full potential.
Emphasizing the importance of the role of tax collectors, the vice president said, firstly, they need to ensure tax compliance and ensure adequate revenue collection for the government, which was essential for creation of public goods, including national defence machinery and infrastructure.
Secondly, the VP said, tax collectors need to be able to do their work with minimum adverse impact on taxpayers, which was essential for the growth of a robust economy.
If taxpayers continue to grow in their respective productive activities, both the national GDP and the revenue collections will continue to grow, Naidu pointed out.
Naidu also stressed on doing away with complex and tedious processes and said it was important to continue efforts towards creating a stable and predictable tax regime, to further simplify the tax system, promote voluntary compliance by taxpayers, and reduce litigation.
"Complex and tedious processes should give way to user-friendly, transparent and objective tax administration," he opined.
The vice president appreciated the government's move to introduce various initiatives in the recent years to provide a non-intrusive and non-adversarial tax ecosystem.
"Introduction of new 'Updated Return' in this year's budget is an affirmative step in the direction of voluntary tax compliance. Similarly, the focus on litigation management to avoid repetitive appeals by the Tax Department is also worth appreciating. I firmly believe interaction between taxpayers and taxmen should be characterized by a spirit of trust, transparency and mutual respect," he said.
Hailing the government's work on 'Ease of Doing Business' and 'Ease of Living', the VP said in the last few years, over 25,000 compliances have been reduced and 1,486 central laws repealed.
"I must compliment CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) for ushering in many far-reaching policy measures like 'Honoring the Honest', Faceless Regime and adoption of the Taxpayers' Charter," he said.
Naidu hailed the CBDT for ensuring highest-ever income tax collections this year, as well as for efforts in implementing the 'Faceless Assessment Scheme' of the Union government.
