Amitabh Bachchan has emerged as the highest tax-paying celebrity in India for the financial year 2024-25, reported with a tax payment of ₹120 crore on a reported income of ₹350 crore. He surpassed other top taxpayers like Shah Rukh Khan, who previously held the top spot, to take the leading position in 2025.
The Highest Individual Taxpayer – Mr Amitabh Bachchan
1 spot on this list by paying a huge amount of Rs. 120 crore as tax. The superstar earned an approximate amount of Rs350 crore in the financial year 2024-25 from various sources.
Maximum marginal rate is the highest rate of tax at any income level. This means for those with incomes between Rs 2 crore and Rs 5 crore, 39% will be the highest applicable tax rate, and for those with incomes above Rs 5 crore, it will be 42.74% — the highest tax rate since 1992.
Reliance Industries
RIL paid the highest tax with a sum of Rs. 20,713 crore in taxes during the financial year 2022-23.
1. Who is the highest taxpayer in India in FY 2023–24? Reliance Industries is the highest tax-paying company, and Akshay Kumar tops among individual celebrities.
According to government reports, while over 7 crore people file tax returns, only a fraction of them actually pay taxes because many fall below the taxable income threshold or use deductions to reduce liability.
Citizens in Denmark pay the most taxes overall, thanks to a top marginal income tax rate of around 55% and an overall tax burden (taxes as a percentage of GDP) of over 45%, one of the highest globally. However, the Nordic nation regularly tops polls as one of the best places to live in the world!
In India, the 30% income tax rate generally applies to individuals earning above ₹24 Lakhs (under the old regime/default for some) or ₹15 Lakhs (under the new optional regime for FY 2025-26) and to firms (as a flat rate), while certain income types like lottery winnings, online gaming, and virtual digital assets (like crypto) are taxed at a flat 30% for everyone, regardless of total income.
In her 2025 Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shared big news. Under the new regime, if you earn up to Rs 12 lakh, you will not have to pay any income tax. Salaried taxpayers get an extra benefit too. The standard deduction, which was Rs 50,000 before, has now gone up to Rs 75,000 for the new regime.
“At a salary of one crore, the average tax rate is 29.26% in the New Regime, compared to 32% in the Old Regime. As the salary increases, the average tax rate in both regimes also increases, reaching 38.42% in the New Regime and 42.46% in the Old Regime for ₹10 crore income,” the CEO of Tax2win added.
Income tax plays a vital role in funding public services, infrastructure, education, healthcare, defence, security, and various welfare services. Income tax in some countries is as high as 60%. To your surprise, India is not a country with the highest income tax.
🚨 Top 10 richest actors in India in 2025.
Kareena Kapoor Khan has become the highest tax paying female celebrity of India for the year 2024. As per a recent list, with Rs 20 crore, the actor is on the top of the list, followed by Kiara Advani in the second spot with Rs 12 crore tax. Katrina Kaif took the third spot in the list with Rs 11 crore tax paid.
Tax Rates and Deductions Comparison
In 2025, India's tax slabs range from 0% on income up to ₹4 lakh to 30% above ₹15 lakh under the new regime. The US has progressive tax brackets starting at 10% going up to 37%.
Amitabh Bachchan has become India's highest tax- paying celebrity for FY 2024-25, surpassing Shah Rukh Khan and Thalapathy Vijay. As per reports, Big B paid a whopping ₹120 crore in taxes—marking a 69% increase from last year. 📈
I pay over $10 billion in tax." — Elon Musk says.
In India, the tax system is designed not only to generate revenue but also to foster economic stability, promote equity, and drive national progress. In last 10-15 years, Indian taxation system has undergone tremendous reforms.
Indian-Americans make up 1.5% of the population and pay 6% of all US tax. That's 4x their representation. This must-read 31-page report by BCG outlines the impact the Indian diaspora has had on the US...
Obtain a Tax Residency Certificate (TRC)
For instance, if you are a tax resident of the US, you can claim relief in India under the India-US DTAA subject to obtaining a Tax Residency Certificate (TRC) from the US revenue authorities, electronically filed declaration in Form 10F, etc.
No, Shah Rukh Khan is significantly richer than Akshay Kumar, consistently topping lists as Bollywood's wealthiest actor, with estimated net worths often double or more than Akshay Kumar's, stemming from his acting, massive production house (Red Chillies Entertainment), and co-ownership of the Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team. While Akshay Kumar is also a top earner, Shah Rukh Khan's diversified business ventures place him in a higher financial league.
According to the latest data from the CBDT, Mumbai alone contributes to over 33% of India's total Income Tax collection! That is one-third of the entire country's contribution coming from just one city. Delhi follows in second place with 14-15%, while the Silicon Valley of India, Bengaluru, contributes around 10%.
Highest Paid Actors in India