Direct Taxes Code to simplify tax structure in 45 days

NEW DELHI: The government on Monday promised to come out within 45 days with a framework for the Direct Taxes Code that will simplify tax structure.

"I propose to pursue the structural changes in direct taxes by releasing a new Direct Taxes Code within the next 45 days," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while unveiling the budget for 2009-10.

The Direct Taxes Code Bill, which will eventually replace the Income Tax Act, 1961 and other tax laws, will be introduced in the Lok Sabha during the winter session.

Noting that tax reform is a process and not an event, the Minister said the government would release a discussion paper on Direct Taxes Code for public debate.

"Based on the inputs received, the government will fianalise the Direct Taxes Code Bill," Mukherjee said.

Meanwhile, on the structural changes in indirect taxes, the Minister promised to speed up the process for implementing Goods and Services Tax (GST) by April 1, 2010.

The GST, a new indirect tax regime, would do away with most of the indirect taxes and would have a dual structure. The two components would be Central GST and the States GST.