Patna: The regional income tax (I-T) headquarters for Bihar and Jharkhand has prioritised an outreach programme to familiarise stakeholders with the provisions of the new Income Tax Act, 2025, while also aiming to improve tax collection in the current financial year after a marginal dip in 2025-26.Principal chief commissioner of I-T for Bihar and Jharkhand D Sudhakara Rao, who assumed charge on April 13 and also holds additional charge of Odisha, is focusing on awareness and capacity-building measures. Officials said dedicated teams are being constituted to first train field officers on the simplified provisions of the new Act, followed by outreach to taxpayers to ensure smoother compliance.According to official data, the gross tax collection in 2025-26 stood at Rs25,209 crore, including tax deducted at source (TDS), while net collection after refunds was Rs17,580 crore. In comparison, the figures for 2024-25 were Rs26,470 crore (gross) and Rs18,780 crore (net), indicating a decline.Officials attributed the dip to changes in tax thresholds and slab revisions, including an increase in the exemption limit and expansion of income slabs. The department expects collections to improve in the current fiscal.The region has around seven crore PAN card holders, but only about 40 lakh active taxpayers. Of these, nearly 65% are salaried individuals, while the remaining include professionals, traders, builders and corporate entities.Officials noted that Bihar’s economy has expanded significantly in recent years, with key tax-contributing sectors, including construction and housing, animal husbandry and feed, food processing and dairy, sand mining, leather goods and textiles such as silk and Madhubani-based fabric products.Major contributors also include state-run entities such as Bihar State Transmission Company Limited, Bihar State Electronic Development Corporation Limited and Bihar State Milk Cooperative Federation Limited.The department is also emphasising taxpayer services through faceless assessment and appeal systems, enabling individuals to submit documents and responses online without visiting tax offices.
