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`I-T Dept's span of control being strengthened'

Our Bureau

CALCUTTA, Dec. 13

OUTLINING the thrust areas of the Income Tax Department's on-going restructuring plan to emerge assessee-friendly, Mr Satrajit Chaudhuri, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Calcutta-1, said that the key technological inputs were being provided to separate and strengthen the department's span of control over basic functions such as collection, assessment, recovery and management of records.

Participating in an interactive session on ``Need for positive work culture for better tax compliance'', organised by the Direct Taxes Professionals' Association (DTPA), Mr Chaudhuri said the basic plan was to make effective use of the span of control ex ercise by the commissioners.

Clarifying further, he said limited control over files would be exercised for effective monitoring, such as a single commissioner may be asked to look after one lakh files only within the allotted period.

He also stressed on the need for re-training, especially at the lower levels, to bring about the change in attitude of the Assessing Officers (AOs) towards tax-payers. The key aspects linked to greater tax compliance, according to the CCIT, were: How the decision-making process was evolved within the department (where the decisions are quasi-judicial), whether principles of natural justice were strictly followed and the assessees were given a fair chance to present their viewpoints.

The real challenge for the department in the changed environment, he felt, was to function effectively, both as a service provider and also an enforcement agency (somewhat contradictory in nature). Technology, quite simply, would have to be the great lev eller, he pointed out. Massive computerisation would bring about a radical change in the mindset of the tax department officials, he said.

He also urged the tax practitioners to rise to the occasion by ushering in an era of cooperation, thereby bringing about a qualitative change in the mindset of the AOs, and better supervision and control by the department as a whole.

Conceding that there were black sheep within the department, he urged the emerging new breed of tech-savvy tax professionals to serve their clients well and also cooperate with the department.

Mr R.P.M.Tripathi, Director-General, Investigation (East), Income-Tax Department, said that the improvements would have to take place at the cutting-edge level to ensure greater tax compliance.