Telugu StatesGenerate 1.24 Lakh Cr as IT Collections During 2025-26
Battini elaborated on the measures being undertaken by the department to nail defaulters
Hyderabad: Suresh Battini, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax, AP and Telangana, on Friday said that the tax collections for the Telugu states stood at `1.24 lakh crore for 2025-26, with Telangana generating `1.06 lakh crore.
Briefing mediapersons at ‘Prarambh 2026’, a nationwide awareness outreach on the New Income-Tax Act, 2025, Battini expressed optimism that collections in the new financial year would rise substantially in the wake of implementation of the new tax regime, which has been simplified to help taxpayers file their I-T returns.
“When compared to the earlier legislation, the new I-T Act has reduced the number of sections from 819 to 536. There is almost a 50 per cent reduction in every area towards making the procedure much simpler,” Battini said.
Replying to questions, Battini elaborated on the measures being undertaken by the department to nail defaulters. He said that the department was continuously collecting data from third parties. Once they found something fishy — like the targeted individual buying an asset — they would move in.
“We are collecting a lot of data from third parties. Suppose someone purchases a car, land or any other asset, the data is captured by a third party who submits information to our department through a mechanism. We analyse the available data. Those who have not shown assets in their income-tax returns will receive notices, be it a politician or a businessman,” Battini said. “Since they cannot keep that money forever, they end up buying assets,” he explained.
During the awareness programme, Sanjay Bahadur, member, Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), explained the key features of the New Income Tax Act, highlighting the simplification of provisions, reduction in sections, rules, and forms, introduction of the ‘Tax Year’ concept, and transition from the 1961 legislation. He also discussed compliance requirements, transitional provisions, important forms, and taxpayer facilitation measures introduced by the department.
Officials demonstrated use of the ‘Kar Saathi’ AI chatbot, which is meant for public use and is available on the income-tax department website.
The department has also provided a compilation of frequently asked questions (FAQs) designed to facilitate quick and easy understanding of the reorganisation of sections under the New Income Tax Act, 2025 and the transition from the 1961 legislation. Educational resources such as brochures, guidance notes, and multimedia materials developed by the department were on display at the event.
