Income Tax Website 2.0 Launches With Kar Saathi As India Shifts To New Tax Law

India’s Income Tax Department has launched a redesigned portal with AI assistant Kar Saathi, tying the website revamp directly to the 01.04.2026 rollout of the Income-tax Act, 2025.

The issue is not just a website refresh. It is a compliance overhaul linked to the new tax regime. On 20.03.2026, the Press Information Bureau said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled Income Tax Website 2.0 during PRARAMBH 2026, the government’s awareness campaign for the Income-tax Act, 2025, which takes effect from 01.04.2026. 

Then, on 02.04.2026, the official Income Tax India handle posted that the new website is “simpler to navigate”, “faster to use”, and comes with Kar Saathi, an AI companion for direct tax journeys.

Why The New Income Tax Portal Launch Matters?

The main story is that the tax department has moved from a standard information portal to a service-led digital platform. ET Online reported on 01.04.2026 that the revamped site now brings together updated ITR forms, e-Pay Tax, e-Verify Return, Instant e-PAN, tax payment status and other taxpayer services on a single dashboard. 

Official material on the Income Tax Department website also shows FAQs and guidance notes for forms under the Income-tax Rules, 2026. That gives the rollout more weight than a social media push alone. The department’s public pitch is clear: one place for tax information, filings and support, with Kar Saathi positioned as a round-the-clock digital helper.

Before looking at the wider transition, the verified rollout points are worth tracking.
 

This timeline shows the launch was staged through official policy communication, service integration and public promotion, all within the first days of the new framework. 

Previous Development On This

The groundwork had started earlier. LoansJagat reported on 11.02.2026 that the draft Income-tax Rules, 2026 were opened for public comments till 22.02.2026, signalling that the shift was already in motion weeks before the portal launch. On 24.03.2026, LoansJagat also highlighted the coming rollout of new income tax forms from 01.04.2026.

Separately, NDTV Profit reported on 02.04.2026 that CBDT Chairman Ravi Agrawal had linked Kar Saathi and the portal rollout to a broader simplification drive. 

According to that report, rules were cut from 510 to 333 and forms from 399 to 190, nearly a 52% reduction. It also said the exercise may remove compliance requirements for over 6 crore transactions.
 

That history shows the new portal is the visible face of a much larger administrative reset, not a standalone product update.

Statements By Stakeholders

Sitharaman, through PIB on 20.03.2026, framed the push as citizen-focused tax simplification. Ravi Agrawal, quoted by NDTV Profit on 02.04.2026, said the transition is about making the system simpler, clearer and more reliable. 

The department’s own X post on 02.04.2026 described the site as faster, easier and backed by Kar Saathi.

Conclusion

The portal launch is real, official and closely tied to the new Income-tax Act, 2025.
The real test will now be stability during peak filing and how useful Kar Saathi turns out in live taxpayer queries.