Ravi Agrawal re-appointed as CBDT Chairman
The government has re-appointed Ravi Agrawal as the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) for another year starting from 1 July, an official order said on Saturday.
The decision was made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), according to a statement from the department of personnel and training. The appointment is on contract basis from 1 July to 30 June 2026 or until further orders, whichever is earlier, the statement said.
ACC also cleared the appointment of 1989 batch Indian Police Service officer Parag Jain as secretary, research and analysis wing (R&AW) under cabinet secretariat for two years, showed a separate order.
Ravi Agarwal has been leading the tax authority’s efforts to transform tax administration to a trust-based one, which relies on voluntary compliance.
In the Union budget for 2025-26, the government announced personal income tax relief to middle-income earners, which is estimated to be worth ₹1 trillion in terms of revenue forgone.
The move could spur consumption, boost the economy and in turn boost revenue receipts as well.
Agarwal is also closely involved in drafting a new Income Tax Bill to replace the existing law. The government believes tax reform is key to realising the country’s development goals.
The new Income Tax Bill is expected to be clear and direct in text and in terms of both chapters and words, only close to half of the present law. A Parliamentary panel is currently looking into it. The new Bill is expected to be simple to understand for taxpayers and the tax administration, leading to tax certainty and reduced litigation.
Under Agarwal’s watch, the CBDT also rolled out a Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme in 2024 to resolve income tax disputes pending in appeal.
The scheme has received a great response, with nearly 33,000 taxpayers having availed of this scheme to settle their disputes, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced in her budget speech in February.
