The virtual world of blogs, online discussion groups and message boards has suddenly erupted with a spate of Budget proposals from the common taxpayer for the finance minister to ponder over.
While India Inc and political parties are sending in their Budget recommendations in high powered meetings, ordinary Indians are using online discussion forums to make their voices heard.
The most common refrain on the internet is that individual taxpayers should be given some relief. Suggestions for raising the income tax exemption threshold by a marginal Rs 25,000 to a hefty Rs 1 lakh are the most common posts.
Many bloggers have demanded a rejig of the income tax slabs. ?Tax high-income individuals at a higher tax slab of say 40% and lower tax rates for other income slabs,? said one post at a Budget message board on a popular website.
Some have asked for moderation in tax rates for the conscientious taxpayer. Urban India, especially young bloggers and women, have also called for a review of the value added tax (Vat). Their grouse: ?Vat has raised the cost of living and made outings like eating out more expensive.?
Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss?s ?smoke-free? vision has few takers, with many smokers pleading with finance minister P Chidambaram not to increase the excise duty on cigarettes.
And there are also some novel suggestions for Chidambaram. A post on a popular website has suggested scrapping all direct taxes and living off the collections of indirect taxes. Another has asked the minister to tax only high-income individuals like film stars and politicians and leave the rest of the populace in a tax-free heaven.