Joint tax filing for couples, relief for disabled soldiers: Raghav Chadha pitches three reforms in Parliament

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Monday proposed a set of reforms in Parliament aimed at easing financial pressures on households and addressing what he described as everyday anxieties faced by ordinary Indians.

During his speech titled ‘I Do Not Oppose, I Rise to Propose,’ Chadha outlined  suggestions related to income tax rules, disability pensions for wounded soldiers and banking charges.

One of his key proposals was to introduce optional joint filing of income tax returns for married couples. Later on  X, Chadha shared parts of the argument he made in his speech in Parliament.

“In Parliament today I proposed optional joint filing of Income Tax Returns for married couples,” Chadha wrote, explaining that the current tax structure treats spouses as separate individuals even when they share the same household finances.

To illustrate his argument, Chadha cited a comparison between two families with the same total household income. In one case, both spouses earn ₹10 lakh each, resulting in a combined household income of ₹20 lakh and zero tax liability. In another case, one spouse earns ₹20 lakh while the other stays home to raise a child, but the family ends up paying ₹1.92 lakh in tax.

“The only difference is how the salary is split between the two spouses,” Chadha said. “One roof. One kitchen. One household budget. But when tax time comes, the family disappears.”

He said the current tax system views spouses as separate taxpayers, meaning there is no clubbing of income or shared tax benefits even though they function as a single household.

“Allow optional Joint Filing of Income Tax Returns so married couples with uneven incomes are not penalised,” he said, adding that if such a system were implemented, both families in the example would pay zero tax.

The AAP leader also urged the government to restore full income tax exemption on disability pensions for all wounded soldiers.

“Restore Full Income Tax Exemption on Disability Pensions for all wounded soldiers, not only those invalided out of service,” Chadha said.

His third proposal focused on banking rules, where he suggested that banks should stop charging penalty fees on accounts that fail to maintain the required minimum balance.

“End penalty charges on bank accounts for not maintaining Minimum Account Balance,” he proposed. 

“I rose to propose solutions that make the system fairer, more humane and more just,” Chadha suggested.

Earlier during the Union Budget 2026–27 debate in the Rajya Sabha in February, Chadha also argued that the long-term capital gains (LTCG) tax on equities should be removed for individual investors, saying it could encourage people to invest more in the stock market instead of putting their savings in assets like gold or real estate.

He said that when the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) was introduced, LTCG on equities was zero, but now investors have to pay both taxes, which could discourage long-term investment.