To Finance Ministry requesting for Wedding Tax
The Finance MinisterMinistry of Finance, Govt. Of India
Sub: Proposal to introduce Wedding tax to check extravagant weddings
Respected Sir / Madam,
We feel privileged to introduce ourselves as Save Indian Family Foundation (SIFF), an NGO dedicated to promote the cause of Family Harmony and Gender Equality. Of late the need for a national debate on the decaying family structure and crumbling state of marriage as an institution has become a necessity in wake of the increased misuse of the dowry laws. These laws have now become a tool of extortion; a protector’s shield has turned into an assassin’s weapon.
However, the issue of extravagant marriages has never come into view. It is a $ 11 Billion industry in India to the extent that specific wedding malls have come up to cater to the industry. Extravagant marriages are a big burden on the parents as in order to maintain a status quo in the society, they have to spend their entire life’s savings.
Also there are many people who spend their black money on big fat weddings without declaring the income. As reported today in the newspapers, the Govt. is facing a tax deficit of Rs. 1,00,000 crores, such unreported incomes only add to the difficulties of tracing black money.
SIFF feels proud to start its initiative of uprooting the social menace called dowry with the launch of its website http://www.antidowry.org, wherein it invites citizens, social workers and concerned people to lodge a complaint against any dowry exchange happening in a wedding or any extravagant marriages happening.
With this, SIFF, also proposes the Government to introduce “Wedding Tax”, on all weddings wherein the expenditure involved in the wedding, which includes,
- Expensive wedding venues,
- Expensive and flashy decorative material used in the venues with lighting,
- Expensive, aristocratic and continental cuisines served in the menu,
- Expensive gifts involved in exchange,
Surpasses six months of income of either parties, the parties involved in the wedding would be liable to pay taxes on extra income thereof.
SIFF believes this proposal, if implemented will not only strike at the roots of the dowry system but will also help the Government nab more and more people who evade tax and spend it lavishly on weddings.
SIFF does hope and believe the proposal is going to be taken in its right spirit by the Government of India.