Between 2019-20 and 2023-24, smaller states and union territories like Mizoram and Jammu & Kashmir saw a notable rise in women filing income-tax returns, reflecting increasing economic participation.
Mizoram experienced a remarkable 96% increase, reaching 2,090 filers, while J&K recorded a 49.2% growth, with 1,17,514 women filing returns.
National Growth in Women Filers
Across India, the number of women filing returns steadily grew over five years, rising from 1.83 crore in Assessment Year (AY) 2019-20 to 2.29 crore in AY 2023-24, marking a 25.3% increase.
Overall, 7.97 crore returns, including those from individuals and businesses, were filed in AY 2023-24. Assessment years reflect income and tax data from the preceding fiscal year.
The northeastern states, excluding Assam, reported substantial double-digit growth in women filing returns during this period. Mizoram led with a 96% rise, followed by Nagaland (44.3%), Meghalaya (39.5%), Arunachal Pradesh (36.4%), Manipur (33.2%), and Sikkim (39%). Tripura’s growth of 22.3% was slightly below the national average.
Despite the percentage increases, absolute numbers in these regions remained modest. For instance, Ladakh saw an extraordinary 583% surge, albeit from a low base of just 30 filers to 205.
Leading States in Women Filers
In absolute terms, Maharashtra topped the list with 36.8 lakh women filing returns in AY 2023-24, reflecting a 23% rise. Gujarat followed with 22.5 lakh filers, a 24.4% increase, and Uttar Pradesh had 20.4 lakh filers, showing 29.2% growth.
Income tax returns (ITRs) allow individuals to report their earnings and taxes paid to the Income Tax Department, governed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) under the Union Ministry of Finance. These statistics highlight growing economic empowerment among women across India, particularly in less economically prominent regions.
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