Sitharman’s advice to tax collectors: On Wednesday, the Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman He advised tax officials to ensure that tax notices or letters sent to taxpayers are written in plain language and to exercise their powers judiciously.
Speaking at the 165th Income Tax Day celebrations, the Finance Minister spoke about the taxmen’s aim to strike a fair and friendly deal with taxpayers. Sitharaman made it clear that instead of inciting a “sense of fear” among taxpayers, tax notifications should be simple and straightforward.
“The tax notice must make it crystal clear to the taxpayer why the notice is being sent,” the Finance Minister added.
The Finance Minister also mentioned that there is room for improvement in issuing tax refunds more quickly to taxpayers.
Sitharaman asked taxmen to avoid “clumsy ways” in their dealings with taxpayers and said the measures taken should be proportionate to the problem at hand.
Enforcement measures should also be the last resort for tax collectors and the department’s aim should be to value voluntary compliance by taxpayers, the Finance Minister added.
The minister also stressed that when she says that the tax department should be more friendly and transparent, she does not mean that tax officials have not been fair over the years.
“Can we explore the possibility of issuing simple and easy-to-understand notices? Explain the reason for the action being taken and why the notice was issued,” Sitharaman added.
FM also believes that tax officials should continue to carry out their sovereign duties while she remains at the side of the department.
(With PTI inputs)
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.