Independent tax policy research should enter public discourse: FM Sitharaman
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called for independent tax policy research to be integrated into public discourse. She emphasized that tax professionals should prioritize national interest over sectoral concerns.
Why it matters
The government's push for transparent, independent tax analysis reflects an effort to modernize India's fiscal policy and improve international tax compliance.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday (September 16, 2026) called for independent research on tax policy to become part of public discourse, saying tax professionals must look beyond sectoral interests and put the national interest first.
Ms. Sitharaman was speaking at the Eighth International Tax Conference on 'New Age Taxation' in Bengaluru organised by the International Tax Research and Analysis Foundation.
"A mature tax policy debate must go beyond sectoral considerations," she said, urging tax professionals to "rise above sectoral consideration and put nation first."
Ms. Sitharaman said the government had deliberately rationalised provisions relating to Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and Tax Collected at Source (TCS), raised thresholds and reduced unnecessary criminal consequences.
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