SANJAY SAHAY
If one scheme that can transform the governance in this country, from the present ramshackle one to an accountable and responsible one, it is Taxpayers Sanman Yojana. Translated in English, it can be titled as ‘Taxpayers Respect Scheme.’ Has the taxpayer ever been respected, more so the salaried class, who cuts on his genuine expenditure or savings for building this great nation? Have you as a taxpayer been respected? If you have been, there you are an exception and also an exception to the miraculous functional democracy of India.
Your job is just to pay taxes and get lost
The person who pays always holds a superior position and calls the shots is the running norm of the world. But not in the case of Indian taxpayers, we are talking about direct taxes, predominantly income tax. People who pay indirect taxes, mostly the vast majority, are never considered with any serious thought, for any purpose whatsoever. Your job is just to pay taxes and get lost. Broadly, this group is hardly aware of indirect taxes. They are represented by lobbies and groups, who are in no way representative of them. A broader and sensible consultation, coming to a decision, which can be nearest to the ideal in the given circumstances is not our democratic destiny.
Rational GST regime
It might take a few decades to have a rational GST regime if it ever happens. Think of the income taxpayers and other direct taxes. They are still a harried lot, even when the tax net keeps on increasing and record collections become the norm. Lots have to pay four times a year and the whole liability is yours. Have you ever felt you were a part of the consultation process and of having the chance to get a ringside view, when the tax structure is being evolved? Like all of us, you would also be coming to know of it through the budget speech. It sounds like a diktat that we are forced to follow.
What happens to the ‘cesspool’, no one knows
What about the cesses which have become a matter or routine? Two to four per cent at the whims and fancies of the powers that be for reasons the taxpayer would not subscribe to. What happens to the ‘cesspool’, no one knows. Tax on short- and long-term capital gains adds to the woes, with stocks also being a part of the umbrella, for a few years now. What do you get out of being a law-abiding, loyal and obedient taxpayer? A political executive squandering this money at their whims and fancy, for purposes that have never yielded results. For the guarantees the beneficiary’s game. Where is the ROI? Where is program budgeting? What does the taxpayer get in return, not even air to breathe, Delhi today stands as a testimony to it. Quality of education and healthcare the less said the better. If you don’t respect the taxpayer, he does not come in the scheme of things. In reality, he is permanently and legally cheated. A tax receipt is a sponge which is being squeezed dry without the taxpayer knowing of it.
THE INDIAN TAXPAYER FEELS CHEATED IN PUBLIC VIEW, NOT BEING ABLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
(The writer is a former Karnataka cadre IPS officer, Founder & Director, TechConPro, Cyber Security Expert, Professional Public Speaker & Writer. Hailing from Palamu, Jharkhand, he lives in Bangalore.)
