According to released research, public confidence in taxes is still the highest in Asia, with India standing out for its comparatively high tax morale and confidence in the fiscal system. Nearly 45% of Indian respondents believe that tax revenues are used for the public good, and 41% see paying taxes as a contribution to their community rather than an additional expense, supporting the idea that taxes are a shared civic responsibility, according to a report jointly released by ACCA, IFAC, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), and the OECD.
According to the report, 68% of Indian respondents indicated they would never defend tax evasion, even if given the chance, demonstrating strong ethical standards. Eighty percent of Indian respondents said they would be willing to pay a small to significant additional amount of tax to support sustainable development goals, highlighting widespread public acceptance of fiscal policy as a tool for long-term social and environmental progress. The survey also demonstrates India’s strong alignment between taxation and sustainability outcomes.
The findings show that India reflects a wider Asian trend of strong trust in taxation, driven by perceptions of fairness, transparency, and public benefit. Many Indian taxpayers are willing to contribute more through taxes to support sustainable development, indicating growing alignment between tax policy and long-term societal goals. Across Asia, taxpayers generally view their tax systems as equitable and are more confident than other regions that taxes deliver public value.
In all 29 countries surveyed, people were more likely to see tax as a contribution to the community rather than a cost—a sentiment strongest in South-East Asia, where nearly 65% agreed. ACCA leaders highlighted that while Asia’s trust in taxation is strong, it must be actively maintained. The OECD noted that these findings mark the first phase of a new project focused on tax morale in Asia.
