India shows strong public trust in tax system: Global survey
- IBEF
- January 6, 2026
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), along with International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and the OECD, undertook a comprehensive survey, Public Trust in Tax 2025: Asia and Beyond, covering more than 12,000 respondents across 29 countries. It found that Asia leads the world in confidence concerning the fairness of taxes, while India had relatively strong tax morale and trust in fiscal administration. Close to 45% of respondents in India feel that the revenues collected as taxes are spent for the public good reasonable indication of the widespread perception that taxation makes a positive contribution to society. About 41% of its citizens consider paying taxes not a burden but rather a civic contribution-a sign of an ingrained ethical attitude toward compliance. An impressive 68% of Indian respondents stated that they would never consider justifying cheating on taxes even if the opportunity arose, underpinning the power of voluntary compliance within the fiscal culture of the country.
The survey also shows that Indians are willing to support broader societal objectives through taxation: approximately 80% indicated a willingness to pay more taxes to fund sustainable development and long-term social progress. This convergence of the values of taxpayers and the initiatives of government portends an increasing public confidence in taxation as a tool for equity and accountability. Throughout Asia, digital tax services and clarity of communication were identified as major elements in increasing trust in the tax system. India’s strong result in the survey underlines the view that transparency, equity, and perceived public value in tax expenditure lie at the heart of building public trust and fiscal governance.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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