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The rollout of an ambitious pilot project of Income Tax department to begin paperless and email-based communication with taxpayers has been delayed as many chosen tax offices have not sent the required data to the CBDT even after over a month-and-a-half of the go-ahead.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes, in October, had chosen Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai tax ranges for the initial beginning of the project where the cases of 100 chosen and willing assesses who are facing scrutiny action will be dealt over email.
“Except the Chennai range, the other four field units are yet to send the selected five non-corporate ranges in their jurisdiction for the project to roll out. A reminder of urgency has been sent in this regard,” a senior official said.
Officials said the project holds a lot of importance for the CBDT and the Finance Ministry and if successful, it will bring about radical changes in tax administration and will act to reduce taxpayers’ grievances and complaints.
The CBDT, only last week, had notified the usage of emails as the new mode of communication between the taxman and taxpayers, as part of the government’s e-initiative to reduce human interface and complaints of harassment and corruption in conducting tax-related jobs.
“The project will get going sooner than later. The ranges concerned will have to expedite their action as the results of this project are expected to be incorporated in the Budget speech of the Union Finance Minister early next year,” the official said.
The department, in order to reduce the taxpayers’ visit to the IT office, had formally announced the ‘pilot’ project on October 19 and the first set of e-communications were decided to be mailed to 100 chosen people each in the chosen cities.
The CBDT had asked the department to “initiate the concept of using email for corresponding with taxpayers and sending through emails the questionnaire, notice etc at the time of scrutiny proceedings and getting responses from them.”
“This would eliminate the necessity of visiting the Income Tax offices by the taxpayers, particularly in smaller cases, involving limited issues and where taxpayer is able to provide details required by the Assessing Officer (AO) without necessitating his physical presence,” the pilot project order had said.
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