Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the highest individual taxpayer across Bihar and Jharkhand during the financial year 2025-26, even as the Income Tax Department collected around ₹20,000 crore from the two states combined, senior tax officials said on Thursday.
Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Bihar-Jharkhand) D Sudhakara Rao said the total tax collection from Bihar and Jharkhand during FY26 stood at nearly ₹20,000 crore, with Jharkhand alone contributing around ₹12,000 crore. He added that nearly 70% of the total collection came through tax deducted at source (TDS), highlighting the growing role of salaried taxpayers, corporates and organised sector compliance in direct tax collections.
While confirming that Dhoni was the highest individual taxpayer across the two states, officials did not disclose the exact amount of tax paid by the former India captain. Ranchi-based Dhoni, one of India’s most successful cricketers and a major brand endorser, has consistently remained among the country’s top celebrity taxpayers because of earnings from cricket, endorsements, investments and business interests.
Among corporates, officials said public sector mining companies such as Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) and CMPDI were among the biggest taxpayers in the region.
Jharkhand’s tax contribution remained significantly higher than Bihar’s due to the concentration of mining and industrial activity in the state.
Officials noted that mining operations were partially impacted during the previous financial year because of heavy rainfall, which affected tax collections from the sector. Despite this, the department remains optimistic of crossing the ₹20,000 crore tax collection mark during the current financial year.
The department also revealed that Bihar and Jharkhand together have around 5.5 crore PAN card holders, but only about 40 lakh people file income tax returns. The gap indicates significant scope for expanding the taxpayer base and improving compliance across the region.
The announcement came alongside a departmental meeting on the new Income Tax Act, 2025, which will come into effect from April 1 and replace the over six-decade-old Income Tax Act of 1961. More than 100 officers from Bihar and Jharkhand participated in discussions regarding implementation of the new law.
According to officials, the new Act aims to simplify tax compliance through clearer language, a streamlined structure and more user-friendly presentation without changing the core tax policy framework. The Income Tax Department also plans to conduct awareness and outreach programmes across Bihar and Jharkhand for banks, PSUs and taxpayers to familiarise them with the changes under the new law.
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