No threat or show cause to taxpayers: CBDT to taxman

The CBDT asked on Tuesday the taxman to ensure there is no "threat, warning or show cause" notice to taxpayers contacted by it under 'Operation Clean Money' that is aimed at checking black money post-note ban.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the policy- making body of the Income Tax department, brought out an eight-page instruction leaflet clearly mandating that no person under verification as part of the operation is required to attend the I-T office "personally under any circumstance and at any stage."

"It should be ensured that the communications made online with the persons under verification should be in very polite language without containing any element of threat or warning. No show cause of any kind should be given," it stated.

The department had sent SMSes and emails to 1.8 million people who made suspicious deposits of over ~5 lakh during the 50-day demonetisation period as part of this operation and close to 0.6 million people have replied on the e-filing portal and have acknowledged to have made such deposits by February 15. This exercise has been called 'Operation Clean Money' by the CBDT. These are the first set of official guidelines issued by the Board with regard to the execution and assessment of the data received under this operation after taxpayers and others had raised doubts about possible harrasment by the taxman.