Ravi Agrawal, Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), said he remains confident of meeting the ₹25 lakh crore direct tax collection target for the year.“We still have hopes from the two remaining instalments of advance tax to help ramp up the collections,” Agrawal told CNBC-TV18 in an exclusive conversation ahead of the Union Budget, on the sidelines of inaugurating the Taxpayers’ Lounge at the India International Trade Fair (IITF) 2025.Agrawal said the rules and forms, including the income-tax returns (ITR), are expected to be ready by January, calling them the “backbone of the Income Tax Bill 2025.”
The CBDT chief acknowledged that appeal pendency remains a compliance issue but highlighted progress. “Almost 40% more appeals have been settled compared to last year,” he said, adding that efforts to reduce litigation are being pushed further, in line with long-standing industry demands.
On concerns about refund delays, Agrawal said the department’s analysis showed taxpayers across sectors were making fraudulent refund claims. “Refunds are not delayed… the tax department is being further cautious,” he said. Smaller refunds, he added, are being released immediately, while larger claims are subjected to deeper scrutiny following widespread fraud patterns.The CBDT is now analysing returns in detail before issuing high-value refunds, as part of a broader effort to strengthen compliance ahead of the new tax framework.Also Read: India’s next big reform: Aligning with global tax systemsThe CBDT Chairman said the industry has had “more than adequate time” to reconcile and file corrected claims as part of TDS compliance.The deadlines for revised TDS filings have been tightened gradually over the past few years to improve compliance discipline. “I urge taxpayers that they still have time to raise and correct their TDS claims,” Agrawal said.(Edited by : Sheersh Kapoor)First Published: Nov 17, 2025 3:55 PM IST
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