Street Dosa Seller Earns Rs. 6 L/Month, More Than Salaried Employees But 'Pays No Tax'

Techie and traveler from Karnataka, Naveen Kopparam recently shared a post about a street food dosa vendor’s earnings that has gone viral. On platform X, the techie mentioned a local dosa vendor who earns Rs 20,000 daily, amounting to a monthly income of Rs 6 lakh. After deducting expenses, the small-scale business owner takes home Rs 3-3.5 lakh every month without paying any taxes. 

His post has ignited discussions among netizens about earnings disparities and tax obligations in India.

A street food dosa vendor near my home makes 20k on an average daily, totalling up to 6 lakhs a month.

exclude all the expenses, he earns 3-3.5 lakhs a month.

doesn’t pay single rupee in income tax.

but a salaried employee earning 60k a month ends up paying 10% of his earning.

— Naveen Kopparam (@naveenkopparam) November 26, 2024

Netizens react

An X user wrote on X, "A street food dosa vendor near my home makes 20k on an average daily, totalling up to 6 lakhs a month.

exclude all the expenses, he earns 3-3.5 lakhs a month.

doesn’t pay single rupee in income tax."

Naveen Kopparam added, "but a salaried employee earning 60k a month ends up paying 10% of his earning."

Netizens immediately started comparing the street vendor’s earnings with highly-educated salaried employees earning Rs 60,000 per month. While the salaried professionals pay approximately 10% of their income as tax, the street vendor pays no taxes to the government.

Another user wrote, "Before we get down there …

What about doctors, lawyers, tea shops, garages and those traders in the commercial areas of the city

Many of them go on foreign vacations, renovate their homes & buy a new vehicle every year but no taxes paid

How and why?"

A third user commented, "They don't get corporate insurance , hard to get car /home / bike loans , no PF , no assured income + he probably pays more GST than Income tax of 60k earning software engg. English speaking twitteratti shld comedown from highhorse as if country is running bcoz they file itr."

One other individual remarked, "That is the problem. When UPI was introduced & due to demonetisation became pretty much common than i had thought now Government has direct data unlike major cash payments earlier so it will be easy to bring the street vendors in the ambit of income tax but the govt never followed through & is just happy with increase in 0 income ITRs"

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(Disclaimer: The story is based on reactions on the X platform. Suggestions, views, and opinions given by the users are their own. These do not represent the views of Startup Pedia.)