Finance Ministry Seeks Industry Input for Budget 2024-25 Tax Changes

The Ministry of Finance, Department of Revenue, Tax Research Unit has taken a proactive step towards inclusive policy-making by inviting suggestions from Industry and Trade Associations for the upcoming Budget 2024-25. The official communication, referenced as F. No.334/1/2024-TRU, was issued on June 12, 2024.

In the context of formulating the proposals for the Union Budget of 2024-25, the Ministry of Finance would like to be benefited by the suggestions and views of your Association. You may like to send your suggestions for changes in the duty structure, rates and broadening of tax base on both direct and indirect taxes giving economic justification for the same.

Your suggestions and views may be supplemented and justified by relevant statistical information about production, prices, revenue implication of the changes suggested and any other information to support your proposal. The request for correction of inverted duty structure, if any for a commodity, should necessarily be supported by value addition at each stage of manufacturing of the commodity. It would not be feasible to examine suggestions that are either not clearly explained or which are not supported by adequate justification / statistics.

As can be seen that the Government policy with reference to direct taxes in the medium term is to phase out tax incentives, deductions and exemptions while simultaneously rationalising the rates of tax. It would be also desirable that while forwarding the suggestions/ recommendations positive externalities arising out of the said recommendations and their quantification are also indicated. You may also like to give your suggestions for reducing compliances, for providing tax certainty and reducing litigations. The Synopsis of your suggestions could be given in the following format:

It may be noted that GST-related requests are not examined as part of Annual Budget. Suggestions related to Customs and Central Excise may be forwarded in the following format:

Additionally, the relevant information as prescribed in the Annexure-A enclosed herewith, may be provided.

Your suggestions and views may be emailed, as word document in the form of separate attachments, in respect of Indirect Taxes [Customs and Central Excise (for commodities outside GST)] to budget-cbec@nic.in and Direct Taxes to ustpl3@nic.in. Hard copies of the Pre-Budget proposals/ suggestions relating to Customs & Central Excise may be addressed to Ms. Limatula Yaden, Joint Secretary (TRU-I), CBIC, while the suggestions relating to Direct Taxes may be addressed to Shri Raman Chopra, Joint Secretary, Tax Policy and Legislation (TPL-I), CBDT. It would be appreciated if your views and suggestions reach us by the 17th June, 2024.

Official copy of the notification has also been attached