The Hindu Business Line : IT concerns

While income-tax assessees are encouraged to be honest, honesty does not seem to be a virtue recognised by the government. A refund was due from the office of the Income-tax Officer, Ward-22(2)(3), Mumbai, to an assessee I represented. The refund order was generated on June 16, 2004. Instead of despatching it to the assessee, the order was retained unsigned in the I.T. Department's file for over seven months, and released only on January 18, 2005.

An application for the interest due was submitted. Since the ITO did not respond, a grievance petition was submitted on February 19, 2005, to the Chief Commissioner of Income-tax.

On May 2, one received an anonymous telephone call, threatening retaliatory action and the assessee faxed grievance petitions to the Union Finance Minister, the Minister of State for Finance, and the CBDT, New Delhi, to no avail.

This is how honest assessees are rewarded.

V .V. Vijayan

Mumbai

Letters to the editor and contributions can be sent by e-mail to: bleditor@thehindu.co.in

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Beware the branding

At long last

Needed, a National Management Service

In Russia, opportunity grows on trees

A bully in the China shop

The European Union: A time for introspection

Inequity reigns at the UN

Success and human values

IT concerns