In India, the Constitution grants the government the right to impose taxes, dividing this power between the state and central governments. The Parliament or the State Legislature must issue a law to accompany all taxes charged in India. The two most common types of taxes are indirect and direct taxes. Furthermore, all taxes in India must be preceded by legislation passed by both the Parliament and State Legislatures.
Individuals or legal entities pay direct taxes directly to the government. The CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes) oversees these taxes. No one can transfer direct taxes to another individual or company.
Indirect taxes are the tax which is paid to the government at the time of purchasing any product or any services. unlike direct taxes, indirect taxes are not imposed on the income and profit of an individual or a company. In basic terms, when a buyer purchases a product or service, the excess amount levied by the supplier to the buyer is referred to as indirect tax. Initially, there are 7 types of indirect taxes in India that are excise duty, VAT (Value Added Tax), Service Tax, Entertainment Tax, Custom duty, and others, which are now collectively termed as Goods and Service Tax (GST) which is imposed by the government.
Aspect | Direct Taxes | Indirect Taxes |
Definition | Tax levied directly on individual or corporate income. | Tax collected on goods and services during the transaction. |
Incidence | Paid directly by the taxpayer to the government. | Shifted from the seller to the buyer; included in the price of goods/services. |
Examples | Income tax, corporate tax, property tax. | Sales tax, value-added tax (VAT), excise duty. |
Taxpayer | The person or entity that pays the tax is the same as the taxpayer. | The taxpayer is not always the person who pays; consumers bear the tax indirectly. |
Progressiveness | Often progressive; higher income individuals pay a higher rate. | Generally regressive; impacts lower-income individuals more as they spend a higher percentage of their income on consumption. |
Calculation Method | Based on the income or profit earned. | Based on the value of goods and services purchased. |
Administration | Typically requires individuals to file returns; more complex. | Easier to administer as it’s collected at the point of sale. |
Economic Impact | Can influence savings and investments. | Can affect consumption patterns and pricing. |
Visibility | Clearly visible in income statements and tax returns. | Often hidden within the price of goods and services. |
Both direct and indirect taxes serve different purposes. Differences in direct and indirect taxes are equitable since they are imposed on individuals based on their ability to pay. They are also cost-effective because of lower collection costs.
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