Continuing its drive to nab tax evaders, the income tax
department has identified additional 21.75 lakh potential non-filers.
The department has already written to 50,000 such entities, urging them
to pay up.
The department has identified these cases through its data
matching exercise and has made the same available on the e-filing portal
of the department so that such PAN card holders can view the
information and respond accordingly.
“The information will be shown only to the specific PAN holder
when the PAN holder logs into the e-filing portal. The PAN holder will
be able to submit the response electronically and keep a print-out of
the submitted response for record purposes,” an official statement said.
Early last year, in February, the I-T department had initiated a
business intelligence project to identify PAN holders who had not filed
I-T returns and about whom specific information was available in Annual
Information Return (AIR), Central Information Branch (CIB) data and TDS
returns. As a result, 12.19 lakh non-filers holding PAN were zeroed in.
Subsequently, the department sent them letters containing a
summary of information of their financial transactions along with a
customised response sheet with a view to know why the person has not
filed the income tax return.
As a result, “5,36,220 returns have been received from the target
segment. Self assessment tax of Rs 1,017.87 crore and advance tax of Rs
898.22 crore has also been paid by the target segment,” the statement
said.
For taxpayers who have shifted to different locations, the
department has sought help of field formations to catch hold of such
evaders. The finance ministry said the exercise would continue till all
potential non-filers are covered.
Source: Financial Express