Maharashtra Leads Growth in Female Taxpayers, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Follow - ITR Filing Increases by 25%
Maharashtra Leads Growth: As per data from the Ministry of Finance, the highest growth in terms of numbers has been seen in Maharashtra for women taxpayers. During the assessment year 2023-24, as many as 36.83 lakh women filed their ITR. This number has gone up by 6.88 lakh from 29.94 lakh recorded in 2019-20. While the percentage growth is 23% for Maharashtra, which is below the national average, it is still at the top when it comes to absolute numbers.
Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat Show Significant Growth
Uttar Pradesh ranks second, with 20.43 lakh women filing ITRs in 2023-24, up from 15.81 lakh in 2019-20. This marks a 29% increase, one of the highest in the country. Gujarat, with 22.50 lakh female taxpayers, secured third place with a 24% increase, or 4.41 lakh more women filing returns.
Growth in the Number of Female Taxpayers Nationwide
The number of female taxpayers across the country has gone up by 25% over the last five years. From 1.83 crore in 2019-20, the number increased to 2.29 crore in 2023-24. This trend indicates a more significant participation of women in the formal economy and better tax compliance.
Highest and Lowest States by Number of Female Taxpayers
The states which have topped the list with maximum female ITR in 2023-24 are:
Maharashtra – 36.83 lakh
Gujarat – 22.50 lakh
Uttar Pradesh – 20.43 lakh
States with the lowest number of women taxpayers are:
Ladakh – 205
Lakshadweep – 1,125
Mizoram – 2,090
In 2019-20 also, these three states were at the bottom.
Excellent Growth in Ladakh and Mizoram
Ladakh recorded the highest increase in the number of women ITR filers, as it grew from just 30 women in 2019-20 to 205 in 2023-24. The number of female ITR filers in Mizoram increased by more than double, from 1,068 in 2019-20 to 2,090 in 2023-24.
Chandigarh witnessed a decline in the number of female taxpayers.
Notably, Chandigarh is the only place where female ITR filers declined in this period. The figure went down from 89,873 in 2019-20 to 88,115 in 2023-24.
Tax compliance increases are reflective of an increasing level of financial inclusion.
A positive sign of increased tax compliance and financial inclusion is the steady rise in the number of women filing income tax returns throughout the country. The country's tax base is continuing to grow as more women are joining the formal economy.
