The biggest headline from the Union Budget for FY 2025-26 was the reduction in income tax for individuals. The government adjusted tax slabs and rebates, ensuring that individuals earning up to Rs. 12.75 lakh a year would pay no income tax. That translated to a maximum benefit of Rs. 83,200 for such taxpayers, with the […]
Union Budget: A Closer Look at the Tax Cuts Read More »
Trump’s Tariff Fallacy? Political rhetoric often clouds self-evident truths. A striking example of this came recently during Donald Trump’s speech at the World Economic Forum, where he claimed, “China is paying us billions of dollars a year in tariffs.” He has repeatedly suggested that tariffs could bring trillions into the U.S. Treasury from foreign nations.
The Politics of Indirect and Direct Taxes Read More »
The Rising Inflation Rates The disruptions in the global supply chain brought about by COVID-19, exacerbated by the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, have sent prices of all items skyrocketing. Table 1 details the inflation rates for several major economies. While the rise in the inflation rate has been high for 2022, the increases are
What should India’s response be to rising inflation? Read More »
The CARES Act Trump lost the US Presidential election primarily because of his irresponsible response to Covid-19. Despite the mounting death toll from the spread of the virus, Trump aggressively promoted defiance of masking and social distancing – a policy endorsed by his own administration! The in-person rallies he held across the US, with the
Unintended Consequences of Policy Choices Read More »
Over the financial year 2019-20, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) cut the Repo rate (the rate at which RBI lends money to commercial banks) by 1.85%, from 6.25% at the beginning of the year (April 1, 2019) to 4.4% by March 31, 2020. The reductions in the Repo rate not only resulted in reductions
