---
title: "Fifteenth Finance Commission: India's Tax Devolution"
description: "The Fifteenth Finance Commission recommends a 41% tax-sharing formula between India's Union and states for 2020-2026, crucial for UPSC exam preparation."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/fifteenth-finance-commission"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Fifteenth Finance Commission was the constitutional body, constituted in 2017, that recommended the formula for sharing tax revenues between India's Union and states for 2020-2026.
- Why did the Fifteenth Finance Commission recommend 41 percent instead of the Fourteenth's 42 percent?
- Why was the use of 2011 Census data controversial?
- How does the Finance Commission differ from the GST Council?
- Are the Finance Commission's recommendations binding on the government?

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

The Fifteenth Finance Commission was the constitutional body, constituted in 2017, that recommended the formula for sharing tax revenues between India's Union and states for 2020-2026.

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## Timeline

1. 27 November 2017

   The commission was constituted by a presidential order under Article 280(1) on , with Nand Kishore Singh (N.

2. 1 February 2021

   Because the Union government extended its tenure and altered its mandate, the commission produced a first report covering only the financial year 2020-21, ta…

3. 31 March 2026

   For the working practitioner, the Fifteenth Finance Commission is the operative framework governing Indian fiscal federalism through , after which the Sixtee…

4. 31 December 2023

   For the working practitioner, the Fifteenth Finance Commission is the operative framework governing Indian fiscal federalism through 31 March 2026, after whi…

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Example

In its final report tabled in Parliament on 1 February 2021, the Fifteenth Finance Commission chaired by N. K. Singh recommended a 41 percent share of the divisible pool to states for 2021-26.

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