CBDT Has 26,997 Vacancies as of January 2026, Government Tells Lok Sabha

The Central Government has informed the Lok Sabha that the Income Tax Department had 26,997 vacancies across Group A, Group B and Group C posts as of 1 January 2026. The Ministry of Finance stated that filling these vacancies is an ongoing process and highlighted several administrative reforms undertaken to strengthen direct tax administration.

The information was shared by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in a written reply to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha on 20 July 2026.

26,997 Vacancies in Income Tax Department

Responding to a query on vacancies in the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the government said there were 26,997 vacant posts in the Income Tax Department as of 1 January 2026.

The Ministry clarified that vacancies arise periodically due to retirements, promotions and other service-related reasons, and are filled regularly in accordance with the prescribed recruitment rules. Recruitment is carried out through:

• Direct recruitment via UPSC and SSC, wherever applicable.
• Promotions under the relevant recruitment rules.

The government emphasized that the process of filling vacancies is continuous and appointments are made as vacancies arise.

Measures Taken to Strengthen Tax Administration

Apart from recruitment, the government highlighted several initiatives aimed at improving the efficiency of the Income Tax Department.

According to the Ministry, the implementation of the New Income Tax Act, 2025 has simplified the language of tax laws, removed obsolete provisions and restructured the legislation for better clarity.

The government also stated that technology-driven reforms have been introduced to modernise tax administration, including:

• Greater use of digital technology in tax administration.
• Easier filing of income tax returns.
• Faster processing of returns.
• Expanded use of data analytics.
• Continued implementation of faceless assessments.

These measures are intended to improve taxpayer services while enhancing administrative efficiency.

Government Says Tax Collection Has Not Been Affected

Replying to concerns about whether large-scale vacancies had impacted tax collection and enforcement, the Ministry indicated that tax administration reforms have helped maintain strong revenue performance.

The government presented direct tax collection figures for the last five financial years, along with collections from cess and surcharge.

Financial Year	Net Direct Tax Collection (₹ Crore)	Cess (₹ Crore)	Surcharge (₹ Crore)
2021-22	14,12,422	51,840.19	23,808.14
2022-23	16,83,686	60,616.26	1,09,009.00
2023-24	19,60,166	69,890.52	1,15,157.00
2024-25	22,26,375	83,071.01	1,38,859.02
2025-26	23,40,373	87,854.31	1,66,514.00

The figures indicate a consistent increase in net direct tax collections over the five-year period, with cess and surcharge collections also showing an upward trend.

Recruitment and Technology to Remain Focus Areas

The government’s reply suggests that while vacancies continue to exist in the Income Tax Department, efforts are being made to fill them through regular recruitment and promotions. At the same time, the Centre is relying on legislative reforms and technology-enabled tax administration to strengthen the department’s operational capacity and sustain direct tax collection performance.

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