News Your email and social media account can be accessed by income tax officers starting next financial year in these cases

[TEUser2K1]

Your email and social media account can be accessed by income tax officers starting next financial year in these cases

Your email and social media account can be accessed by income tax officers starting next financial year in these cases - The Economic Times

Starting April 1, 2026, the income tax department will have the authority to access social media, emails, and other digital spaces to curb tax evasion. This has been granted to them under the new income tax bill. This will also include search and seizure powers over your assets and documents...

m.economictimes.com

Starting April 1, 2026, the income tax department will have the authority to access social media, emails, and other digital spaces to curb tax evasion. This has been granted to them under the new income tax bill. This will also include search and seizure powers over your assets and documents, which have raised major privacy concerns. Experts warn of challenges to fundamental privacy rights without judicial oversight and procedural safeguards.

 

[Kaching999]

This a major privacy and FOS breach, it is nothing more than a move to have a upper hand over the citizens, how is this even legal?

 

[TEUser2K1]

This a major privacy and FOS breach, it is nothing more than a move to have a upper hand over the citizens, how is this even legal?

Have posted this earlier, those innocuous comments about China, the frequent shrilling about emergency times, etc. are nothing but inner clamoring to have those powers while blaming others. Those comments from some politicians are not because they abhor such events, but their hidden wish to have those powers.

 

[lockhrt999]

Those broke-ass b!tches flaunting new clothes, cars, gold on ig, gonna learn.

 

[TEUser2K1]

Those broke-ass b!tches flaunting new clothes, cars, gold on ig, gonna learn.

Don't count on them paying income tax anyways, if they are broke.

 

[bssunilreddy]

UAE does not have Income Tax it seems. Let us all immigrate to UAE...

 

[TEUser2K1]

No problem in paying income tax, but the percentage matters.
It should be rational, how govt. spend it should matter too, aka less corruption, etc.
UAE have VAT, lot of other charges when you deal with govt., still gives several times better living situation in a country which is much expensive to live than India. If you send enough Indians, that place too can turn into India.

 

[lockhrt999]

UAE have VAT, lot of other charges when you deal with govt., still gives several times better living situation in a country which is much expensive to live than India. If you send enough Indians, that place too can turn into India.

VAT is 5% and is flat rate like most of the world. No different rates on salted vs caramelized popcorns. No other charges like educational cess.

Final tax you pay in UAE is 5%
Whereas the final tax you pay in India is a little over 50%

42% UAE population is Indian. That's more than any other group, including natives. More percentage of the UAE population speak Hindi than in India.

Why is that? @bssunilreddy is not the first dude who had this realization.

Don't count on them paying income tax anyways, if they are broke.

They need to convince the tax officer that their insta life doesn't match their finances.

---
Joking aside, this is one of those laws that'll be used to suppress political oppositions. Exactly like ED, it doesn't need to get the justice system involved. You are guilty until proven innocent.

 

[TEUser2K1]

VAT is 5% and is flat rate like most of the world.

Implementing VAT @5% itself caused cost of many products to go up much above 5% (cost for keeping accounts, filing charges, etc. etc.), heard it was due to outside influence.

No other charges like educational cess.

Check about Knowledge fee which will come around Rs.240 for govt. related transactions.

No different rates on salted vs caramelized popcorns.

Excise: Carbonated drinks: 50%, Products with added sugar and other sweeteners: 50%. 100% tax on tobacco products, etc. etc.
There are significant costs on licenses and other fees for businesses, visa, etc., not that cheap I mean.
Still fully agree that things are several folds better than what we see locally.

42% UAE population is Indian.

Yep, now imagine adding more, already can see complaints about gutka markings everywhere.... They recently issued visa rules that companies should add more %age of other nationalities due to this, else visa will not be issued.

Joking aside, this is one of those laws that'll be used to suppress political oppositions. Exactly like ED, it doesn't need to get the justice system involved. You are guilty until proven innocent.

True that, have serious implications.

 

[Futureized]

They already know your digital footprint.
Breaking law and invading privacy is one thing but making law to invade privacy is another.

 

[rocking]

A dark future for us, our children, our society. The more control you give to others, more you lose yourself. one side we talk about tax relief, easy taxation, data protection and then in one side invading our privacy by bringing illegal rules.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1897898734710603980

Income Tax bill 2025

https://incometaxindia.gov.in/Documents/income-tax-bill-2025/income-tax-bill-2025.pdf

 

[k660]

Your email and social media account can be accessed by income tax officers starting next financial year in these cases

Your email and social media account can be accessed by income tax officers starting next financial year in these cases - The Economic Times

Starting April 1, 2026, the income tax department will have the authority to access social media, emails, and other digital spaces to curb tax evasion. This has been granted to them under the new income tax bill. This will also include search and seizure powers over your assets and documents...

m.economictimes.com

Starting April 1, 2026, the income tax department will have the authority to access social media, emails, and other digital spaces to curb tax evasion. This has been granted to them under the new income tax bill. This will also include search and seizure powers over your assets and documents, which have raised major privacy concerns. Experts warn of challenges to fundamental privacy rights without judicial oversight and procedural safeguards.

Okay this is getting batshit crazy.

How is that these guys have time to create all this but don't have time to create a system/mechanism which can literally tell one/users
'this-this has been your income n what not this year'
this much is your tax click here to pay them.
I think EU does this.
I can atleast confirm ENGLAND, Netherlands have it.

( Hindi translation: ye har bar har saal kabbadi khelna jaruri hai kya?!
MATLAB government ko pata hai kitna ye banda kamata hai aur kitna tax banta hai uska.
Lekin phir bhi government be like: every year tumhra ITR ka oral exam hai.
Nahi aata exam Dena? Phir
Uske liye apna proxy CA ya CA ka niche ka banda Jo CA pass nahi kar paya usko baithao usko 2-3k rs do every year for filing ITR, vo bhi cash Mai Paisa mange-ha akhir usko bhi to tax evasion karna hai khulla openly.

Every honest taxpayer is " arre Lena pareshan hogaye hai kabse, ye bhi pareshan hai vo bhi pareshan hai " ).

 

[blr_p]

This a major privacy and FOS breach, it is nothing more than a move to have a upper hand over the citizens, how is this even legal?

Feel free to challenge it in the courts. If it's as you say then people will be lining up to do just that

Starting April 1, 2026, the income tax department will have the authority to access social media, emails, and other digital spaces to curb tax evasion.

I'm not getting right away how exactly access to these accounts curbs tax evasion for most people.

There will always be those who under declare to the point they are not eligible to pay any taxes. But already they are eyeing third minimum van or SUV and have plenty of photos showing them

 

[k660]

I'm not getting right away how exactly access to these accounts curbs tax evasion for most people.

There will always be those who under declare to the point they are not eligible to pay any taxes. But already they are eyeing third minimum van or SUV and have plenty of photos showing them

Exactly brother!
This is sounding more n more like trying to 'control' internet/social media.
( Like eu, britain arresting people for making memes )

 

[Kaching999]

Feel free to challenge it in the courts. If it's as you say then people will be lining up to do just that

Personally it doesn't affect me as I don't use social media anyway. But have access to email servers and cloud servers is, that is pretty much dictatorial.

If they really wanted to curb tax evasion they would have gone after the people who are known to have shell companies abroad and bring cases against them by setting up investigations and probes. But that would require work wouldn't it? So why even bother.

 

[TEUser2K1]

Govt. should understand that the best way to control tax evasion is by reducing tax rates and ensuring that more people pay taxes.
Not by increasing taxes on very few those already pay and burden them with more, without giving enough benefits.
May be they already know that, reason why there was an attempt to reduce a bit.

They should deploy the collected taxes much more efficiently, using less corrupt methods, so that people feel better after paying taxes.
Otherwise money flow outside the country is accelerate only, ignoring whatever govts. does.

Indians spent billions outside the country, now govt. is trying to trace that, only result will be people finding new ways to take money out. For eg.,

Money laundering probe: ED to shoot off notices to uncover realty of Dubai

Many Indian high net worth families have been swept up in the frenzy of the Dubai realty market where developers threw in lucrative offers like insignificant down payments with the balance to be paid out over a period of time. In the process many, and some unwittingly, have breached the foreign...

economictimes.indiatimes.com

Dubai housing market gets a realty check as ED probes rich Indians

Dubai's residential market experienced a slight decline in transactions during the October-December 2024 quarter. Nearly 50% of the buyers are Indians. The Enforcement Directorate's investigation into the source of funds for Indians purchasing Dubai properties has contributed to the slowdown.

economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[blr_p]

If they really wanted to curb tax evasion they would have gone after the people who are known to have shell companies abroad and bring cases against them by setting up investigations and probes. But that would require work wouldn't it? So why even bother.

Around 8% of the population qualify for income tax.

That is nearly 130 million people.

How are they expecting to find anything. AI?

 

[Futureized]

If not wrong, people using UPI payments send/receive linked via there Pan/Adhar might come into picture as well.
They know who/where we are, just take an additional step to get into our digital footprints.
There are many other things to consider..

 

[rocking]

courts are for powerful people. courts are created to protect them. it is not for justice at least i have seen in my all life. i can put thousands of examples here, maybe lakhs if we can put some more time digging into it.

all four pillars are failed. there is nothing good. it is all broken.

when they spy on one email or server they are spying on thousands of users connected with that account. i had no issue with this but when everyone in the system is itself corrupt, how can they blame us by invading our privacy and all the rights? so we are still a slave, right?

 

[PunkX 75]

What about the biggest tax evaders of the country - Well-to-do youths who open random ass food carts with BS names, made famous by annoying, tharki, and illiterate vloggers. For e.g - Vada Pav girl, Garib momos (or something of that sort).