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Question 42 of 54

Q.Read the following statements – Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Choose the correct alternative from the options given below : Assertion (A) : Direct taxes are imposed on income/profits of individuals/companies. Reason (R) : The burden of payment of direct taxes cannot be shifted to any other entity. Options : (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is the correct explanation of Assertion (A). (B) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true, but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion (A). (C) Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false. (D) Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

CBSECBSE Class XII Board 2025MCQ· 1mImportance★★★★★
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The Assertion is true — direct taxes such as income tax and corporate tax are levied on the income and profits of individuals and companies. The Reason is also true — the burden of a direct tax cannot be shifted to anyone else. But the Reason describes a different characteristic (non-shiftability of incidence) and does not explain what the tax is levied on, so it is not the correct explanation of the Assertion. The answer is (B).

Let us first understand what direct taxes are, because the Assertion and the Reason describe two distinct features of the same category of tax. In the Indian tax system, taxes are broadly classified into direct and indirect taxes. Direct taxes are those imposed directly on the income, wealth or profits of a person or entity. Income tax paid by an individual on their salary, or corporate tax paid by a company on its profits, are classic examples. The government collects these taxes from the very person who earns that income or profit. So the Assertion is true.

Now consider the Reason — that the burden of a direct tax cannot be shifted. This too is true, and it is in fact the defining property of a direct tax. When you pay income tax you cannot legally transfer that liability to someone else; both the impact (who is legally liable) and the incidence (who ultimately bears the burden) fall on the same person. This is what distinguishes direct taxes from indirect taxes like GST or excise duty, where the seller deposits the tax but recovers it from the buyer through a higher price — there, the burden is shifted. So the Reason is true.

The crucial step in any Assertion–Reason question is the explanation test. The Assertion tells us what direct taxes are levied on — income and profits. The Reason tells us about the incidence of direct taxes — that the burden cannot be shifted. These are two separate, parallel characteristics of a direct tax. Non-shiftability does not explain why the tax is imposed on income and profits; the reason a direct tax is levied on income is a matter of how it is defined and classified, not a consequence of its non-shiftability. Therefore, although both statements are true, the Reason is not the correct explanation of the Assertion. …

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