Thu Feb 13 11:09:57 UTC 2025: ## New Income Tax Bill 2025 Introduced Amidst Opposition Walkout
**New Delhi** – Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman introduced the Income Tax Bill 2025 in the Lok Sabha today, sparking a walkout by several Opposition MPs. The bill aims to simplify India’s tax laws, reducing the number of sections from 819 to 536 and simplifying the language.
Responding to Opposition concerns, Sitharaman clarified that the new bill represents a significant simplification, not merely mechanical changes. She highlighted that the number of words has been halved, and the bill is now written in plain English and Hindi. She further noted that the 1961 Income Tax Act, with its initial 298 sections, has accumulated over 4,000 amendments over the years.
Despite the walkout, Sitharaman proposed sending the bill to a newly formed Select House Committee for further review. The committee is expected to submit its report on the first day of the next parliamentary session. The bill’s passage remains pending the committee’s recommendations.
First Piper 