Budget 2026: When retirement becomes a tax trap – why India’s salary earners need urgent relief – The Times of India

Budget 2026: When retirement becomes a tax trap – why India’s salary earners need urgent relief – The Times of India

India’s salaried class feels squeezed—not because they don’t want to pay taxes, but because the system increasingly treats retirement savings as a luxury. (AI image) For a country that prides itself on a thriving middle class, India’s tax treatment of retirement savings has begun to feel oddly out of step with economic reality. Over the…

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Budget 2026: Time to adopt income tax decriminalization suggested by NITI Aayog – The Times of India

Budget 2026: Time to adopt income tax decriminalization suggested by NITI Aayog – The Times of India

Striking the right balance – leniency for genuine taxpayers and strong deterrence for willful evaders – will be the real test of the reforms. (AI image) In a significant move aimed at reshaping India’s tax enforcement landscape, NITI Aayog has proposed sweeping reforms to decriminalise a wide range of income tax-related offences and usher in…

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Budget 2026: Introduction of optional joint taxation for married couples can be a game changer – The Times of India

Budget 2026: Introduction of optional joint taxation for married couples can be a game changer – The Times of India

ICAI proposes that married couples be given the option to file a single, joint return. (AI image) Pre-budget suggestions are pouring in, in the North Block. As the government gears up to present the 2026 budget, one proposal stands out for its potential impact on millions of households: optional joint taxation for married couples. It…

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Budget 2026 for the investor: Time to fix the flawed tax design on share buybacks – The Times of India

Budget 2026 for the investor: Time to fix the flawed tax design on share buybacks – The Times of India

For high-income taxpayers, buyback proceeds may now be taxed at slab rates up to 35.88%, despite the fact that the shareholder is surrendering and extinguishing their rights in the shares. (AI image) When the Finance Act, 2024 rewired the tax treatment of share buybacks, it upended a long-standing system that had—with all its imperfections—at least…

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