Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill 2025, removes 6% digital tax on online ads

Lok Sabha passes Finance Bill 2025 after including 35 government amendments

The Lok Sabha on Tuesday approved the Finance Bill 2025, which included 35 government amendments, one of which eliminates the 6 percent digital tax on online advertisements.

With this, the Lok Sabha has completed its part of the budget approval process, and the Rajya Sabha will now review the Bill.

After the Rajya Sabha approves the Bill, the Budget process for 2025-26 will be complete.

The Union Budget 2025-26 envisages a total expenditure of Rs 50.65 lakh crore, an increase of 7.4 per cent over the current fiscal.

The total capital expenditure proposed for the next fiscal is Rs 11.22 lakh crore and an effective capital expenditure of Rs 15.48 lakh crore.

It proposes a gross tax revenue collection of Rs 42.70 lakh crore and a gross borrowing of Rs 14.01 lakh crore.

According to Budget documents, Rs 5,41,850.21 crore has been earmarked for Centrally Sponsored Schemes for the financial year starting April 1, 2025. This compares with Rs 4,15,356.25 crore for the current financial year.

For central sector schemes, Rs 16.29 lakh crore have been earmarked for FY26 compared to Rs 15.13 lakh crore for 2024-25.

Budget estimates of expenditure for 2025-26 have increased due to several reasons, including a rise in payment of interest on market loans, treasury bills, external loans, small savings and provident funds; higher requirements of Armed Forces, including capital expenditure; and more provisions for employment generation scheme.

Total resources being transferred to states, including devolution of states' share, grants/loans and releases under Centrally Sponsored Schemes, in Budget 2025-26 are Rs 25,01,284 crore, a rise of Rs 4,91,668 crore over the actuals of 2023-24.

The fiscal deficit for FY26 is projected at 4.4 per cent against 4.8 per cent in the current fiscal.

The GDP for FY2025-26 is estimated at Rs 3,56,97,923 crore, which is 10.1 per cent over the Revised Estimates for FY2024-25 of Rs 3,24,11,406 crore released by the National Statistical Office(NSO).

(With inputs from PTI)