India leads global tax policy shift amid expanding digital economy: CBDT Joint Commissioner

New Delhi [India], November 7 (ANI): India has taken a proactive stance in adapting tax laws to the digital era and the rise of borderless digital businesses challenges traditional taxation, and India leads globally in ensuring fair, transparent, and equitable revenue distribution, Varunesh Mishra, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), told ANI today.

"The digital economy is now all-pervasive," Mishra told ANI today on the sidelines of the International Tax Conference 2025 in New Delhi. "Entities can operate across borders without any physical footprint, making it difficult to determine where profits should be taxed," he said.

He explained that India recognized this shift early and has been at the forefront of reforming its tax laws to ensure fair and equitable revenue distribution in the digital landscape.

India's journey began with the introduction of the concept of Significant Economic Presence (SEP) in 2018, later refined in 2020 and operationalized in 2021.

This measure allows India to tax profits from foreign digital entities based on their economic activity and user base in the country, even without a physical office.

Mishra also mentioned the Equalization Levy, initially designed to tax cross-border digital transactions, which has since been withdrawn as India aligns with global frameworks like the OECD's Pillar One and Pillar Two initiatives.

On the domestic front, Mishra highlighted progressive steps such as the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on e-commerce transactions under Section 194-O, ensuring that digital platforms contribute fairly to India's tax ecosystem.

He also pointed to the taxation of virtual digital assets (VDAs) -- including cryptocurrencies and NFTs -- introduced in 2022.

This framework imposes a 30% tax on income from the transfer of such assets and a 1% TDS on payments related to their sale, making India one of the first major economies to define and regulate digital asset taxation comprehensively.

However, Mishra cautioned that challenges remain. The primary issue lies in attribution -- determining where profits should be taxed when digital businesses operate seamlessly across jurisdictions. "We must ensure our tax policies encourage innovation while maintaining fairness and equity," he said.

As global cooperation through the OECD gains momentum, India continues to balance innovation with accountability, setting a precedent for emerging economies navigating the digital tax frontier.

During the same event, Mukul Bagla, Chair of the Direct Tax Committee, PHDCCI, acknowledged the global shifts in trade, manufacturing and geopolitics have positioned India as a central player in international tax discourse.

Bagla emphasized the government's ongoing efforts to streamline tax laws, lower litigation, improve dispute resolution, and make doing business easier are all in line with India's goal of becoming a developed, innovation-driven economy by 2047.

The conference featured expert-led deliberations on international taxation, BEPS 2.0, transfer pricing mechanisms, cross-border tax issues and emerging global tax governance trends. (ANI)

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