Budget 2026: How FM Nirmala Sitharaman transformed India’s income tax regime from 2019 to 2025

Between 2019 and 2025, FM Nirmala Sitharaman quietly rewired India’s income tax system through a series of calibrated reforms rather than one sweeping overhaul. Across six Union Budgets, the government moved away from a deductions-heavy, compliance-intensive old tax framework toward lower rates, simpler slabs and minimal human interface.