The news around the rise in taxpayer base as well as tax collection a few days ago was something to cheer about. According to the figures released by the Finance Ministry, a total of 2.82 crore people filed returns, compared to 2.26 crore last year – a rise of nearly 25 per cent. Even advance tax collections showed a healthy increase of almost 42 per cent. Like every statistical outcome, this one too hides as much as it glosses over. For instance, the period for which the details have been shared includes the demonetisation phase as well as the period when the pay commission payout happened, along with the voluntary declaration of income thrown open for people to report.