Raghav Chadha Proposes Joint ITR Filing System for Married Couples

On Monday, Rajya Sabha member Raghav Chadha raised an issue in Parliament about how income tax works for married couples in India.

He said that right now, the system treats a husband and wife as two separate people for tax purposes, even though they live together, share expenses, and run one household. Because of this, the way income is divided between them can change how much total tax they pay.

He also cited some examples. He said under the current rules, a person earning up to Rs 12 lakh may not have to pay tax due to rebates. So if both spouses earn Rs 10 lakh each, they might pay little or no tax. However, if only one spouse earns Rs 20 lakh, that person could end up paying more tax even though the total family income is the same.

He argued that this is unfair to families where only one person earns. He suggested the optional joint filing of Income Tax Returns for married couples, which could reduce their overall tax burden.

He also pointed out that many countries already allow this, such as the United States, Germany, and France. These countries allow married couples to file taxes jointly or split their income, which can help balance taxes more fairly within a household.

Apart from this, he shared the same on his social media “X”.

He said, “The tax system sees two individuals. A husband and wife become strangers. No clubbing of income or rebates.”

In Parliament today I proposed optional Joint filing of Income Tax Returns for married couples.

Family A
Both spouses earn ₹10 lakh each.
Total household income is ₹20 lakh.
Tax: zero

Family B
One spouse earns ₹20 lakh. The other stays home to raise their child.
Total… pic.twitter.com/eU4OkQmBoW

— Raghav Chadha (@raghav_chadha) March 16, 2026