Government think tank NITI Aayog on Wednesday distanced itself from the comments made by its member Bibek Debroy on taxing agriculture income saying that views expressed by him were ‘personal’. At a press conference yesterday on 3-Year Action Agenda, Debroy had said taxes should be imposed on farm income above a certain threshold to expand the tax base.
“On expanding the base on the personal income tax side, other than elimination of exemptions, is to also tax rural sector, including agriculture income above certain threshold,” Debroy had said.
In a statement on Wednesday NITI Aayog said: “The views on Taxing Farm Income expressed by Member Bibek Debroy were personal and not those of the Aayog.” The clarification came after media reports said that NITI Aayog or its Draft Three year Action Agenda has recommended that Farm Income in India be taxed to expand the existing Income Tax base.