India's Finance Minister Sitharaman Calls for Tax Certainty and Citizen‑Centric Service at Income Tax Day

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addressed the 167th Income‑Tax Day in New Delhi, urging the department to shift from litigation management to “litigation prevention” and to ensure convenience for honest taxpayers. She outlined the five‑Rs of responsive tax governance – recognise, respond, redress, reflect and reform – and highlighted the newly enacted Income‑Tax Act 2025, new forms and technology upgrades such as PAN 2.0, ITBA 2.0 and the SAKSHAM NUDGE platform.

Sitharaman also praised record‑breaking ITR filings, faster refund processing and improved grievance redressal, while calling on officials to adopt a citizen‑centric approach and avoid making people “run from pillar to post” for services. The remarks were reiterated after inaugurating the department’s new Aaykar Sindhu building in Mumbai, where she cited personal bureaucratic hurdles as a lesson for officials to understand common‑citizen challenges.