Finance Bill 2025 Passed by Lok Sabha: Key Provisions & Budget Highlights

New Delhi, Mar 25 (PTI) The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed the Finance Bill 2025, along with 35 government amendments, including one that abolishes a 6 per cent digital tax on online advertisements.

With the passage of the Finance Bill 2025, the Lok Sabha completed its part of the Budgetary approval process. The Upper House, Rajya Sabha, will now consider the Bill.

After the Rajya Sabha approves the Bill, the Budget process for 2025-26 will be complete.

The Union Budget 2025-26 envisages a total expenditure of Rs 50.65 lakh crore, an increase of 7.4 per cent over the current fiscal.

The total capital expenditure proposed for the next fiscal is Rs 11.22 lakh crore and an effective capital expenditure of Rs 15.48 lakh crore.

It proposes a gross tax revenue collection of Rs 42.70 lakh crore and a gross borrowing of Rs 14.01 lakh crore.

According to Budget documents, Rs 5,41,850.21 crore has been earmarked for Centrally Sponsored Schemes for the financial year starting April 1, 2025. This compares with Rs 4,15,356.25 crore for the current financial year.

For central sector schemes, Rs 16.29 lakh crore have been earmarked for FY26 compared to Rs 15.13 lakh crore for 2024-25.

Budget estimates of expenditure for 2025-26 have increased due to several reasons, including a rise in payment of interest on market loans, treasury bills, external loans, small savings and provident funds; higher requirements of Armed Forces, including capital expenditure; and more provisions for employment generation scheme.

Total resources being transferred to states, including devolution of states' share, grants/loans and releases under Centrally Sponsored Schemes, in Budget 2025-26 are Rs 25,01,284 crore, a rise of Rs 4,91,668 crore over the actuals of 2023-24.

The fiscal deficit for FY26 is projected at 4.4 per cent against 4.8 per cent in the current fiscal.

The GDP for FY2025-26 is estimated at Rs 3,56,97,923 crore, which is 10.1 per cent over the Revised Estimates for FY2024-25 of Rs 3,24,11,406 crore released by the National Statistical Office(NSO).