---
title: "Article 280: Finance Commission of India | Model Diplomat"
description: "Article 280 mandates the Finance Commission in India to recommend tax revenue distribution every five years, crucial for federal fiscal relations."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/article-280-finance-commission"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Article 280 of the Indian Constitution requires the President to constitute a Finance Commission every five years to recommend the distribution of tax revenues between the Union and the states.
- Are the Finance Commission's recommendations binding on the Union government?
- How does the Finance Commission differ from NITI Aayog?
- Why was the use of 2011 Census data by the Fifteenth Finance Commission controversial?
- Why do cesses and surcharges reduce the states' share of central taxes?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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## Timeline

1. 31 December 2023

   The Sixteenth Finance Commission, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, was constituted on and is mandated to make recommendations for the five-year period commenci…

2. 1 April 2026

   The Sixteenth Finance Commission, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, was constituted on 31 December 2023 and is mandated to make recommendations for the five-year…

3. 31 October 2025

   The Sixteenth Finance Commission, chaired by Arvind Panagariya, was constituted on 31 December 2023 and is mandated to make recommendations for the five-year…

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The Fifteenth Finance Commission, chaired by N. K. Singh, recommended in 2020 that 41 percent of the divisible pool of central taxes be devolved to India's states for 2021–26.

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