Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday called for recognising the role played by honest income taxpayers in the growth of the nation. She, along with her ministerial colleagues and senior Finance Ministry officials, complimented the Income Tax Department on its 161st anniversary.

“The honest taxpayers deserve to be recognized for the contribution they are making to the progress of the nation by dutifully paying their due share of taxes,” she said in her message to the Income Tax Department. She complimented the Department for continuing to work towards simplifying its procedures and processes, and making the department’s functioning hassle-free, fair and transparent. She also lauded the taxpayers for discharging their compliance obligations despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic.

Remembering those officers and officials who have lost their lives in the line of duty due to the pandemic, she observed that their contributions to the national cause can never be forgotten.

The Minister of State (Finance), Pankaj Chaudhary, in his message, complimented the Department for having done well in its twin role of revenue collection and implementation of tax policies in a fair and transparent manner. He observed that most of the processes and compliance requirements have been shifted to online platforms and the need for the taxpayers to physically visit the Income Tax Offices has been eliminated or minimised.

He highlighted the fact the interaction with taxpayers is now characterized by a spirit of trust and respect, relying more on voluntary compliance.

Minister of State (Finance), Dr Bhagwat Kishanrao Karad, in his message, appreciated the Income Tax Department for its immense service to the nation in its role as the agency administering the Direct Taxes.

Noting that taxes are not only a source of revenue for the Government, but also an effective instrument for achieving certain socio-economic objectives, he commended the Department for having proved itself to be robust and capable of evolving with the need of the times. He expressed his confidence that the Department will keep up its reputation as a professional organisation guided by principles of fairness and transparency.

Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj complimented the Department for having done well in adapting itself to the emergent changes in our economy and having been able to achieve a healthy growth in tax collections. He also appreciated the initiatives undertaken by the Department to reorient its approach towards revenue collection, making its functioning trust-based and taxpayer-centric. He appreciated the work carried out by the field units of the Department for organising relief work for those affected by Covid19 pandemic and vaccination camps for its employees and their families.

Referring to the larger and far-reaching policy measures like ‘Honoring the Honest’, Faceless Regime and adoption of the Taxpayers’ Charter, CBDT Chairman, J B Mohapatra noted that these initiatives have made the departmental functioning more transparent, objective and taxpayer-friendly.

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