Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the platform for “Transparent Taxation- Honouring the Honest” on Thursday through the PMO India official Twitter handle. PM Modi during the course of the launch said “India salutes its hardworking taxpayers.”

During the launch, the Prime Minister also said “The trend of Structural Reforms running in the country has reached a new stage today.

Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest, this new system of the 21st-century tax system has been launched today.”

According to the Prime Minister, the Transparent Taxation platform will have big reforms like faceless assessment, faceless appeal and taxpayers charter.  He said that faceless assessment and taxpayers charter would be introduced from August 13, while the faceless appeal service would be made available from September 25.

He added that the new tax system will instill in taxpayers a sense of fairness and fearlessness.

The Prime Minister also said that emphasis was being given to ensure that every rule and law become people-centric and public friendly. He added the country was reaping the benefit of the new governance model put in place by the current administration.

The PM added that in the last six years his government had  focused on “Banking the Unbanked” and “Securing the Unsecured.”

He added that the new initiative launched on Thursday would be a new journey for the country.

Modi also said that the honest taxpayer of the country plays a huge role in nation-building and added that a country can only move forward when the honest taxpayer’s life is made easy.

PM Modi also said the government would make new arrangements to stay true to its motto of Minimum Government and Maximum Governance from Thursday.

He added that laws will become more people-centric and public friendly.

The PM also said that Fundamental and Structural reforms were needed in India’s tax system.

He added that the government would take greater efforts to make the system seamless, painless, and faceless.

Asking people to pay taxes due to them, Modi said while it is the responsibility of tax officers to deal with taxpayers with dignity, people should also consider paying taxes as their responsibility.

Fundamental reforms were needed in the Indian tax system, he said, adding India is among the nations with lowest corporate tax rates.

The Prime Minister also said that in the past six years India had witnessed the evolution of a new governance system model in tax administration and added how the current government had decreased the complexity, taxes, and litigation and had increased transparency, tax compliance and trust on the taxpayer.

He added that in 2012-13, 0.94% of all taxes were scrutinised and emphasised that in 2018-19 the figure had fallen to 0.26%. “Scrutiny reduced by 4 times, telling itself how extensive the change is,” said the PM.

He also said how tax on income of 5 lakh rupees had come down to zero and added that tax had also come down on remaining slabs.

The Prime Minister added that the transparent process had enabled more people to file income taxes and emphasised how the number of people filing taxes in the last six-seven years had increased by about two and a half crores.

Finally, PM Modi said those who are able to pay taxes should come forward with self-motivation and pay taxes.