The economic participation of women in the country is increasing rapidly. This is evident from the increase in the number of Income Tax Returns (ITR) filed by them. While 1.83 crore women filed ITR in Assessment Year 2019-20, this number increased by 25% to 2.29 crore in Assessment Year 2023-24.

Maharashtra, Gujarat ,and UP in the list of top states

According to Finance Ministry data, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh had the highest number of women taxpayers.

• Maharashtra: From 29.94 lakh in 2019-20 to 36.83 lakh in 2023-24 (23% increase).
• Gujarat: From 18.08 lakh in 2019-20 to 22.50 lakh in 2023-24 (24% increase).
• Uttar Pradesh: From 15.81 lakh in 2019-20 to 20.43 lakh in 2023-24 (29% increase).

Highest growth in Ladakh

Although the number of women taxpayers is comparatively less in a small union territory like Ladakh, the growth rate was the highest. Only 30 women filed ITR in 2019-20, while this number increased seven times to 205 in 2023-24.

Karnataka and Punjab also included in the top states

Karnataka (14.30 lakh) and Punjab (13.22 lakh) were also among the top five states in terms of number of women taxpayers.

Decline seen in Chandigarh

While the number of women taxpayers is increasing in most parts of the country, Chandigarh has bucked the trend. Here, 89,873 women filed ITR in 2019-20, which dropped to 88,115 in 2023-24.

Sharp increase in total ITR too

The number of total ITR filers in the country has also increased rapidly. A record 6.77 crore ITRs were filed in the assessment year 2023-24. This shows that both the income and tax participation of the people have increased.

An indication of improvement in income and standard of living

The increasing number of ITR filers shows that the income level in the country is improving. The increasing participation of women not only underlines their economic independence but also shows that they are playing an important role in the tax system.

A big step towards social and economic progress

This growth is a symbol of the social and economic progress of women. Their increasing number as taxpayers makes it clear that they are now playing a greater role in financial decisions than before.