Introduction:
India has a well-developed tax structure with clearly demarcated authority between Central and State Governments and local bodies. Central Government levies taxes on income (except tax on agricultural income, which the State Governments can levy), customs duties, central excise and service tax.
The Tax Structure in India is quite strong and follows the financial year. The taxation under the tax structure in India is applicable for any kind of income pertaining to a person working as an employee under the public sector units, private sector units, foreign companies in India, Departments of the State Governments of India, and Departments of the Central Government of India or self-employed individuals engaged in commercial activities which is legal in nature. The several corporations engaged in commercial activities also come under the taxation. The public bodies, state governments and central government have clear demarcation of their functioning. The central government imposes tax on all kinds of income such as central excise, customs duties, and service tax apart from income pertaining to agriculture. The State Governments of India is responsible for imposing tax pertaining to Value Added Tax (VAT), sales tax, income from agriculture, state excise duty, stamp duty, professional tax, land revenue, etc. Taxes imposed by the local bodies are pertaining to octroi tax, water supply utilities, drainage and sewage utilities, property tax, etc. In last 10-15 years, Indian taxation system has undergone tremendous reforms. The tax rates have been rationalized and tax laws have been simplified resulting in better compliance, ease of tax payment and better enforcement. The process of rationalization of tax administration is ongoing in India. Since April 01, 2005, most of the State Governments in India have replaced sales tax with VAT.
Different taxes levied under tax