Income Tax: History, Revenue, Governments & Taxable Income

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An income tax is a tax imposed on individuals or entities (taxpayers) in respect of income or profit (commonly called taxable income) earned by them.  

Income Tax History

Income Tax-Introduction: The tax rate may increase as taxable income increases (referred to as graduation or progressive tax rates).  The tax levied on companies is commonly known as corporate tax and is usually levied at a uniform rate. 

Personal income is often taxed at progressive rates where the applicable tax rate on each additional unit of income increases (for example, the first $10,000 of income is taxed at 0%, and the next $10,000 is taxed at 1%).  is, etc.).  Most jurisdictions exempt local charitable organizations from the tax. 

Income from investments may be taxed at different (usually lower) rates than other types of income.  Various types of credits may be allowed which reduce the tax. Some jurisdictions impose higher income taxes or taxes on an alternative basis or measure of income.

Generally, income tax is calculated as the product of the tax rate of the taxable income.  Taxation rates may vary according to the type or characteristics of the taxpayer and the type of income.

Read Also~Income Tax Filing: Know Online e-filing Income Tax – History & Updates

The income tax department is the central board of direct tax.

What is taxable income?

The taxable income of taxpayers residing in the jurisdiction is generally total income less productive expenses and other deductions.  Generally, only net profit from the sale of assets, including goods put up for sale, is included in income.  The income of a corporation’s shareholders usually includes distributions of profits from the corporation. 

Income Tax of India
Income Tax Importance

The deduction typically includes all income-producing or business expenses, including an allowance for recovering the cost of business assets.  

Most jurisdictions require a self-assessment of tax and require payers of certain types of income to withhold tax from those payments.  Advance payment of tax may be required by the taxpayers. 

Taxpayers have to file an income tax return but taxpayers who do not pay taxes on time are typically subject to significant penalties, which can include prison for individuals or the revocation of an entity’s legal existence.

Read Also~Income Tax Return: Guide-Details You Should Know Upload Form-16 for eFiling ITRs

Economic and policy aspects

Several conflicting theories have been proposed regarding the economic impact of income taxes. Income tax is widely viewed as a progressive tax (the incidence of tax increases as income increases).

Some studies have suggested that an income tax does not have much effect on the number of hours worked.

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