NEW DELHI: More than one in five income tax filers in Karnataka earn at least Rs 1 lakh a month, placing the state at the top of India’s list of “lakhpati” taxpayers. According to the latest data, 20.6% of tax filers in Karnataka declared annual incomes between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 50 lakh. Telangana (19.8%) and Jharkhand (19.5%) followed closely, while Tamil Nadu (18.8%) and Delhi (17.6%) also featured among the top five. Puducherry (17.4%), Odisha (16.8%), Maharashtra (16.2%), Andhra Pradesh (15.9%) and Uttarakhand (14.2%) made up the rest of the top 10. On average, 14.1% of taxpayers across India fall within this income bracket. Gujarat, despite its reputation for high economic activity, was at the bottom of the list. Officials noted that while the proportion of Rs 12–50 lakh earners is low there, this may reflect a broader and higher overall tax base in the state.(Source: MoF in Lok Sabha)