So here we are, folks! Another budget, another round of "game-changing" tax announcements, and another brigade of social media warriors drumming up the "historic" decision—No Income Tax up to ₹12 Lakh! Cheers! Bring out the sweets! Light the crackers! Modi Ji has done it again!
But wait… what about those earning ₹13 Lakh? Oh, you poor, unfortunate souls. Brace yourselves for the fine print, because the moment you step beyond ₹12 Lakh, the government doesn’t just knock on your door—it breaks in, ransacks your house, and laughs at your financial misery.
Let’s do the math. You earn ₹13 Lakh? Congratulations, you now owe ₹75,000 in income tax. Not ₹1, not ₹10, not even a few thousand—but a whopping SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND RUPEES.
What happened to the "middle class relief"? What happened to "no tax up to ₹12 Lakh"? Oh, you didn’t read the fine print? That’s on you.
Rebate 87A: The Art of Tax Base Manipulation
Ah yes, the brilliant Rebate 87A—one of the most cunning political maneuvers of our times. It’s not just a rebate; it’s a well-crafted psychological operation to shrink the number of taxpayers, effectively silencing the voices against this discriminatory taxation system.
Think about it. By cleverly ensuring that only those earning just above ₹12 Lakh get hit hard, they eliminate a large chunk of potential tax complainers. If you're in the exempted bracket, why would you care about tax hikes? It doesn’t affect you, right? That’s how they divide and rule. And those unfortunate enough to be just over the limit? Too few in number to cause a stir.
It’s the same old formula—play the majority against the minority, pit the tax-free against the taxed, and maintain absolute control.
The Middle Class: Forever the Milking Cow
It’s always the middle class that gets crushed. The rich have loopholes, the poor have exemptions, and the salaried middle class? Well, they’re the golden goose that keeps getting plucked—one feather at a time. This isn’t tax reform; this is daylight robbery, glorified as "relief."
So the next time someone screams "No tax up to ₹12 Lakh!", smile at them. Give them a pat on the back. And then show them the bill for ₹75,000 on a ₹13 Lakh income. Maybe—just maybe—they’ll finally wake up to this grand illusion.
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