India’s Income Tax Decade: Doubling Returns, Soaring Refunds & Shifting Burdens (2013–2024)

At the dawn of the e-filing statistics era, FY 2013–14 recorded 3.8 crore Indians filing an income tax return, and the government collected ₹6.38 lakh crore in direct taxes.

By FY 2023–24, those numbers had grown to 8.6 crore returns and ₹19.6 lakh crore in collections. That’s a 2.3X increase in returns filed and a 3X jump in revenue in just 10 years.

But behind the growth lies a deeper story:

• Who pays more now — corporates or individuals?
• Why have refunds exploded?
• Which states carry the biggest tax burden?
• And why does India still have one of the narrowest tax bases in the world?

Backed by CBDT’s official Time-Series data (FY 2013–14 to FY 2023–24), this Indiagraphs report decodes a decade of income tax filings, collections, and the big shifts behind the numbers.

Return vs Refund: Know the Difference

Term	Meaning
Return	Annual statement of income, deductions, and tax liability filed with the Income Tax Department.
Refund	Excess tax already paid (via TDS, advance/self-assessment) that is credited back to the taxpayer, with interest u/s 244A in eligible cases.

In short:

• Return = What you declare you earned and paid
• Refund = What you get back because you overpaid

Returns Filed: From 3.8 Crore to 8.6 Crore

Financial Year	Returns Filed	Returns Filed (crore)
2013–14	3,79,74,966	3.80
2014–15	4,04,31,690	4.04
2015–16	4,63,02,430	4.63
2016–17	5,58,00,978	5.58
2017–18	6,87,06,068	6.87
2018–19	6,73,57,829	6.74
2019–20	6,78,97,450	6.79
2020–21	7,38,98,581	7.39
2021–22	7,30,47,073	7.30
2022–23	7,78,16,350	7.78
2023–24	8,61,32,779	8.61

Insight: In just 10 years, India’s ITR filings grew from 3.8 crore to 8.6 crore — more than doubling. The sharpest jump came between 2015–2017, driven by demonetization, GST rollout, mandatory e-filing, and Aadhaar–PAN linking.

Filing a Return ≠ Paying Tax

While 8.6 crore returns were filed in FY 2023–24, not all filers paid tax. Many file returns to:

• Claim refunds (esp. salaried individuals with TDS)
• Show income proof (for loans, visas, scholarships)
• Maintain compliance (GST, business records)

CBDT data shows that about 45% of individual returns in FY 2020–21 declared zero tax liability. Many were below the taxable threshold but still filed for compliance or to claim refunds.

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Corporate vs Personal Tax Collections (₹ crore)

Year	Corporate Tax	Personal Tax	Total
2013–14	3,94,678	2,42,888	6,38,596
2014–15	4,28,925	2,65,772	6,95,792
2015–16	4,53,228	2,87,637	7,41,945
2016–17	4,84,924	3,49,503	8,49,713
2017–18	5,71,202	4,20,084	10,02,738
2018–19	6,63,572	4,73,179	11,37,718
2019–20	5,56,876	4,92,717	10,50,681
2020–21	4,57,719	4,87,560	9,47,176
2021–22	7,12,037	6,96,604	14,12,422
2022–23	8,25,834	8,33,307	16,63,686
2023–24	9,11,055	10,45,139	19,60,166

Insight: In 2013, corporates paid more than individuals. By 2023, the tables turned — individual taxpayers now contribute more than corporates.

Direct vs Indirect Taxes (₹ crore)

Year	Direct Taxes	Indirect Taxes	Total Taxes	Direct %
2013–14	6,38,596	4,95,347	11,33,943	56.3%
2014–15	6,95,792	5,43,215	12,39,007	56.2%
2015–16	7,41,945	7,11,885	14,54,180	51.0%
2016–17	8,49,713	8,61,515	17,11,228	49.7%
2017–18	10,02,738	9,15,256	19,17,994	52.3%
2018–19	11,37,718	9,37,322	20,75,040	54.8%
2019–20	10,50,681	9,53,513	20,04,194	52.4%
2020–21	9,47,176	10,74,809	20,21,985	46.8%
2021–22	14,12,422	12,89,662	27,02,084	52.3%
2022–23	16,63,686	13,81,935	30,45,621	54.6%
2023–24	19,60,166	14,95,853	34,56,019	56.7%

Insight: India has shifted from an indirect-tax heavy system to one where direct-based taxes lead share.

Refunds (₹ crore) : The Other Side of the Coin

Year	Collection	Refund	Refund %
2013–14	6,38,596	1,00,000	16%
2014–15	6,95,792	1,10,000	16%
2015–16	7,41,945	1,20,000	16%
2016–17	8,49,713	1,50,000	18%
2017–18	10,02,738	1,70,000	17%
2018–19	11,37,718	1,83,000	16%
2019–20	10,50,681	1,83,000	17%
2020–21	9,47,176	2,62,000	28%
2021–22	14,12,422	2,58,000	18%
2022–23	16,63,686	3,07,000	18%
2023–24	19,60,166	3,30,000	17%

Insight: Refunds touched a record 28% in 2020–21 (Covid relief) — almost ₹1 refunded for every ₹3 collected. Even in FY 2023–24, refunds were 17% of gross collections.

Why Do So Many Taxpayers Get Refunds?

Most salaried employees don’t plan their taxes early. Employers deduct TDS conservatively, assuming minimal deductions. At year-end, taxpayers claim:

• Section 80C deductions (PF, PPF, ELSS, LIC premiums)
• HRA and housing loan interest
• Health insurance premiums
• Education loan interest or donations

This gap between actual liability and deducted tax leads to large refunds.

Reminder: A refund isn’t “free money.” It’s your own money being returned—without interest.

Taxpayer Types (PAN Categories)

Year	Individuals	Companies	Firms	Trusts/AOPs	Total Returns
2013–14	3.50 cr	7.2 lakh	9.6 lakh	1.8 lakh	3.80 cr
2014–15	3.74 cr	7.5 lakh	9.9 lakh	1.9 lakh	4.04 cr
2015–16	4.29 cr	7.8 lakh	11.1 lakh	2.8 lakh	4.63 cr
2016–17	5.22 cr	8.0 lakh	11.8 lakh	2.6 lakh	5.58 cr
2017–18	6.46 cr	9.4 lakh	13.9 lakh	2.9 lakh	6.87 cr
2018–19	6.33 cr	9.6 lakh	14.1 lakh	2.9 lakh	6.74 cr
2019–20	6.39 cr	9.3 lakh	13.7 lakh	2.8 lakh	6.79 cr
2020–21	6.95 cr	10.2 lakh	15.3 lakh	3.1 lakh	7.39 cr
2021–22	6.86 cr	10.6 lakh	15.2 lakh	2.9 lakh	7.30 cr
2022–23	7.33 cr	10.9 lakh	15.7 lakh	2.9 lakh	7.78 cr
2023–24	8.14 cr	11.5 lakh	16.5 lakh	3.1 lakh	8.61 cr

Insight:

The system is still overwhelmingly dependent on individual taxpayers, mainly salaried.

Individuals dominate the tax base, accounting for 94–95% of all returns.

Companies are just ~1–1.5%, and firms + trusts/AOPs together <5%.

State-wise Contribution (2018–24)

State	2018–19 (₹ cr)	2020–21	2023–24
Maharashtra	4,25,390	3,31,969	7,61,716
Delhi	1,66,405	1,20,121	2,03,197
Karnataka	1,19,796	1,16,255	2,34,098
Tamil Nadu	74,239	61,122	1,27,067
Gujarat	49,022	46,864	93,301
Uttar Pradesh	27,688	26,735	48,333

Insight: Maharashtra alone contributes nearly 40% of all direct taxes, thanks to Mumbai’s financial hub. Delhi + Karnataka add another 20%.

Direct Tax to GDP Ratio

Year	Direct Tax (₹ cr)	GDP at Current Prices (₹ cr)	Ratio
2013–14	6,38,596	1,13,55,073	5.6%
2014–15	6,95,792	1,25,41,208	5.6%
2015–16	7,41,945	1,35,67,192	5.5%
2016–17	8,49,713	1,53,62,386	5.5%
2017–18	10,02,738	1,70,98,304	5.9%
2018–19	11,37,718	1,88,86,957	6.0%
2019–20	10,50,681	2,00,74,856	5.2%
2020–21	9,47,176	1,98,29,927	4.8%
2021–22	14,12,422	2,35,97,399	6.0%
2022–23	16,63,686	2,69,49,646	6.2%
2023–24	19,60,166	2,95,35,667	6.6%

Insight: Direct taxes now form 6.6% of GDP, up from ~5.6% a decade ago. Still below OECD average (13–15%).

Cost of Collection (FY 2013–14 to 2023–24)

(Expenditure incurred per ₹100 of direct tax collected)

Year	Cost per ₹100 collected
2013–14	₹0.57
2014–15	₹0.59
2015–16	₹0.61
2016–17	₹0.66
2017–18	₹0.61
2018–19	₹0.62
2019–20	₹0.66
2020–21	₹0.76
2021–22	₹0.53
2022–23	₹0.51
2023–24	₹0.44

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Insight: Collection efficiency improved steadily over the decade — from ~₹0.60 per ₹100 in 2013–14 to just ₹0.44 in 2023–24. Even during the Covid dip (2020–21), efficiency remained under ₹1, among the lowest globally.

Digital Shift: Compliance & Convenience

Some key enablers behind the rise in filings and refunds:

• E-filing portal: Enables seamless online ITR submissions
• PAN-Aadhaar linking: Tracks incomes better
• Form 26AS & AIS: Pre-filled tax data improves accuracy
• Faceless assessments: Faster, corruption-free scrutiny
• Direct Bank Credit: Refunds now come within 7–14 days, compared to 6–12 months earlier

Insight: India’s tax system has become faster, digital-first, and more taxpayer-friendly.

How Does India Compare Globally?

Despite rapid growth, India’s tax base remains narrow.

Only about 6% of India’s population files income tax returns.
In contrast, countries like the US, UK, and Germany see tax filing rates above 50–60% of their populations.

Insight: India still has a long way to go in broadening the tax base—especially among informal sector workers, small businesses, and rural earners.

Why This Story Matters

The rise in returns and refunds isn’t just a tax department milestone. It signals:

• More people entering the formal economy
• Greater salary transparency
• Improved digital systems
• But also, persistent challenges in awareness and tax literacy

5 Key Takeaways

1. ITR filings doubled: From 3.8 crore in FY 2013–14 to 8.6 crore in FY 2023–24 — a 2.3X rise in just 10 years.
2. Individuals dominate: Salaried and small individual taxpayers make up over 94% of all returns, while corporates are barely ~2%.
3. ₹3.3 lakh crore in refunds: In FY 2023–24, refunds equaled 17% of gross tax collections, showing both system efficiency and planning gaps.
4. Faster refunds, but poor planning: Refunds now come in 7–14 days, yet the large refund volume suggests tax deducted at source (TDS) overshoots and weak early tax planning.
5. Refund ≠ Bonus: It’s not free money — just an interest-free loan you gave to the government, which smarter planning could reduce.

As India progresses, building a culture of timely, planned, and informed tax filing will be crucial—not just for individual finances but for national revenue efficiency.

Sources

Income Tax Return Statistics — FY 2023-24, CBDT, Ministry of Finance (June 1, 2024)

Appendix: Full Year-by-Year Tables (2000–01 to 2023–24)

For transparency, here are the full datasets as scrollable tables.

Returns Filed (Available from FY 2013–14 Onwards)

¸Financial Year	Returns Filed	Returns Filed (crore)
2013–14	3,79,74,966	3.80
2014–15	4,04,31,690	4.04
2015–16	4,63,02,430	4.63
2016–17	5,58,00,978	5.58
2017–18	6,87,06,068	6.87
2018–19	6,73,57,829	6.74
2019–20	6,78,97,450	6.79
2020–21	7,38,98,581	7.39
2021–22	7,30,47,073	7.30
2022–23	7,78,16,350	7.78
2023–24	8,61,32,779	8.61

Direct Tax Collections (Corporate, Personal, Others, Total)

Year	Corporate Tax (₹ crore)	Personal Tax (₹ crore)	Others (₹ crore)	Total (₹ crore)
2000–01	35,696	31,764	845	68,305
2001–02	36,609	32,004	585	69,198
2002–03	46,172	36,866	50	83,088
2003–04	63,562	41,386	140	1,05,088
2004–05	82,680	49,268	823	1,32,771
2005–06	1,01,277	63,689	250	1,65,216
2006–07	1,44,318	85,623	240	2,30,181
2007–08	1,93,561	1,20,429	340	3,14,330
2008–09	2,13,395	1,20,034	389	3,33,818
2009–10	2,44,725	1,32,833	505	3,78,063
2010–11	2,98,688	1,46,258	1,049	4,45,995
2011–12	3,22,816	1,70,181	990	4,93,987
2012–13	3,56,326	2,01,840	823	5,58,989
2013–14	3,94,678	2,42,888	1,030	6,38,596
2014–15	4,28,925	2,65,772	1,095	6,95,792
2015–16	4,53,228	2,87,637	1,079	7,41,945
2016–17	4,84,924	3,49,503	15,286	8,49,713
2017–18	5,71,202	4,20,084	11,452	10,02,738
2018–19	6,63,572	4,73,179	967	11,37,718
2019–20	5,56,876	4,92,717	1,088	10,50,681
2020–21	4,57,719	4,87,560	1,897	9,47,176
2021–22	7,12,037	6,96,604	3,781	14,12,422
2022–23	8,25,834	8,33,307	4,545	16,63,686
2023–24	9,11,055	10,45,139	3,972	19,60,166

Refunds

Year	Refunds (₹ crore)
2000–01	15,000
2001–02	20,000
2002–03	25,000
2003–04	28,000
2004–05	30,000
2005–06	40,000
2006–07	45,000
2007–08	50,000
2008–09	52,000
2009–10	55,000
2010–11	58,000
2011–12	60,000
2012–13	80,000
2013–14	1,00,000
2014–15	1,10,000
2015–16	1,20,000
2016–17	1,50,000
2017–18	1,70,000
2018–19	1,83,000
2019–20	1,83,000
2020–21	2,62,000
2021–22	2,58,000
2022–23	3,07,000
2023–24	3,30,000

Direct vs Indirect Taxes

Year	Direct Taxes (₹ cr)	Indirect Taxes (₹ cr)	Total Taxes (₹ cr)	Direct %
2000–01	68,305	1,19,814	1,88,119	36.3%
2001–02	69,198	1,17,318	1,86,516	37.1%
2002–03	83,088	1,32,608	2,15,696	38.5%
2003–04	1,05,088	1,48,608	2,53,696	41.4%
2004–05	1,32,771	1,70,936	3,03,707	43.7%
2005–06	1,65,216	1,99,348	3,64,564	45.3%
2006–07	2,30,181	2,41,538	4,71,719	48.8%
2007–08	3,14,330	2,79,031	5,93,361	53.0%
2008–09	3,33,818	2,69,433	6,03,251	55.3%
2009–10	3,78,063	2,43,939	6,22,002	60.8%
2010–11	4,45,995	3,43,716	7,89,711	56.5%
2011–12	4,93,987	3,90,953	8,84,940	55.8%
2012–13	5,58,989	4,72,915	10,31,904	54.2%
2013–14	6,38,596	4,95,347	11,33,943	56.3%
2014–15	6,95,792	5,43,215	12,39,007	56.2%
2015–16	7,41,945	7,11,885	14,54,180	51.0%
2016–17	8,49,713	8,61,515	17,11,228	49.7%
2017–18	10,02,738	9,15,256	19,17,994	52.3%
2018–19	11,37,718	9,37,322	20,75,040	54.8%
2019–20	10,50,681	9,53,513	20,04,194	52.4%
2020–21	9,47,176	10,74,809	20,21,985	46.8%
2021–22	14,12,422	12,89,662	27,02,084	52.3%
2022–23	16,63,686	13,81,935	30,45,621	54.6%
2023–24	19,60,166	14,95,853	34,56,019	56.7%

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