Highest Taxpayer in India: Top 10 Highest Tax Paying Companies & Celebrities in FY 2024

In India, individuals and businesses are liable to pay direct taxes based on their income. Several factors influence tax computation, including costs, tax type, deductions, income and exemptions. Irrespective of the income that an entity earns, they have to pay taxes as per the applicable tax rates. Does this mean that companies and individuals earning in crores need to pay crores in taxes? 

Follow this article to get comprehensive knowledge about the highest taxpayers in India.

When you think of taxpayers in India, the common names that come to mind are established businesses such as Reliance, ITC, Tata, and many more. However, the list of top taxpayers goes beyond these renowned organisations.

Top 10 Highest Taxpayers in India

Here’s a list of the top 10 highest tax-paying entities in India. 

• Reliance Industries

Reliance Industries Limited  (RIL) is a Fortune 500 company and India's largest private sector corporation. RIL paid the highest tax with a sum of Rs.20,713 crore in taxes during the financial year 2022-23.

• State Bank of India

State Bank of India (SBI), a Fortune 500 company, is an Indian Multinational, Public Sector Banking and Financial services statutory body headquartered in Mumbai. SBI paid a total sum of Rs.17,649 crore in taxes during the financial year 2022-23.

• HDFC Bank

The Housing Development Finance Corporation Limited or HDFC Ltd, was among the first financial institutions in India to receive an “in principle” approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to set up a bank in the private sector. The bank paid Rs.15,350 crore in taxes during the financial year 2022-23.

• Tata Consulting Services

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is an IT services, consulting, and business solutions organization partnering with many of the world’s largest businesses for the past 50 years. TCS paid the Indian government Rs.14,604 crore in tax.

• ICICI Bank

ICICI Bank was originally promoted in 1994 by ICICI Limited, an Indian financial institution, and was its wholly-owned subsidiary. The bank paid Rs.11,793 crore to the Indian Government as tax. 

• ONGC

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) was founded on 14 August 1956 by the Government of India. It is the largest government-owned oil and gas explorer and producer in the country. ONGC paid a total sum of Rs.10,273 crore in taxes during the financial year 2022-23.

• Tata Steel

Tata Steel was established in India as Asia's first integrated private steel company in 1907. The company was developed in India's first industrial city, Jamshedpur. Tata Steel paid Rs.10,160 crore in taxes during the financial year 2022-23.

• Coal India

Coal India Limited (CIL), the state-owned coal mining corporation came into being in November 1975. With a modest production of 79 Million Tonnes (MTs) at the year of its inception, CIL today is the single largest coal producer in the world. Coal India paid Rs.9,876 crore in taxes during the financial year 2022-23.

• Infosys

Established in 1981, Infosys is a NYSE-listed global consulting and IT services company with over 336k employees. The company paid Rs.9,214 crore to the Indian Government as tax. 

• Axis Bank

Axis Bank is the third largest private sector bank in India. The bank offers the entire spectrum of financial services to customer segments covering Large and Mid-Corporates, MSME, Agriculture and Retail Businesses. The bank paid Rs.7,703 crore to the Indian Government as tax. 

Who was the Highest Individual Taxpayer in India in 2024?

According to recent data released by the Income Tax Department of India, Shah Rukh Khan is the highest taxpayer for the financial year 2024, contributing a substantial amount of Rs.92 crore in taxes. Here is the list of the top 10 highest tax-paying celebrities of FY 2023-24:

Who was the Highest Individual Taxpayer in India in 2023?

As per the Income Tax Department of India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has paid an impressive advance tax of Rs.38 crore for the financial year ending 31st March 2023. The ex-captain of India earns approximately Rs.130 crore per annum. He is also the highest individual taxpayer from Jharkhand since the fiscal year 2020-21.

Who was the Highest Individual Taxpayer in India in 2022?

Akshay Kumar was the highest taxpayer in India for 2022. According to the Income Tax department, he paid an income tax of Rs.29.5 crore, the highest among individuals in India last year. He has an estimated annual income of Rs.486 crore, earned from different sources, such as movies, production houses, sports teams and endorsements.

Who was the Highest Individual Taxpayer in India in 2021?

Akshay Kumar was awarded "Samman Patra" for being the highest taxpayer in India for the last five years by the Income Tax Department. He has been at the top of the list of individual taxpayers in India, even in 2021. According to several reports, Akshay Kumar pays approximately Rs.25.5 crore in taxes yearly.

Highest Taxpayer Company in India

The highest-tax-paying company in India presently is Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). It is the largest company from Tata Group and the second-biggest organisation in India. TCS offers various technical services, including software services, IT services, cyber security platforms, and more. In the last fiscal year, TCS paid Rs.11,536 crore in taxes, accounting for 6.8% of its total revenue. 

Highest Taxpayer State in India

Maharashtra tops the chart of the highest tax-paying states in India. Since the Financial year 2019-20, the Income Tax Department of India has collected the highest tax from Maharashtra. The government collected Rs.5,24,498 crore direct tax from Maharashtra in the previous fiscal year. It is followed by Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat. 

Final Word

Taxes implemented on a company or individual can be of different types based on their income and deductions. In India, TCS stands out as the highest corporate taxpayer, while Akshay Kumar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni have been the highest tax-paying individuals. Furthermore, Maharashtra claims the top spot for the highest tax-paying state in India.