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Using a strong expression, the President, Ms Pratibha Patil, described the Government's action plan on black money as ‘war'.
She said: “The war against black money has to be addressed both domestically and through cross-border measures.”
The President was speaking at a function to mark 150 years of the Income-Tax Department here on Friday. She told the department to put in place various measures, through laws and procedures to ensure that recalcitrant tax evaders are brought to book.
Referring to tax havens, the President said that the thrust toward better global co-operation had to be continued through appropriate agreements on tax information exchange and on the mutual co-operation between countries to track down evaders taking shelter in the other jurisdiction. The President also stressed the need to increase the taxpayers' base. She said, “With continuing innovative efforts and with the widening of the rather small taxpayers base of about 3.5 crore, the direct tax-to-GDP ratio should rise beyond the present figure of 6.1 per cent.” The war against black money is one of the four policy actions that the President wants the Income-Tax Department to take up. She asked the department to have continuous interface with compliant taxpayers, especially the small ones and senior citizens. She advised it to take a feedback from taxpayers and on the basis of that rectify systems and processes.
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