Soon, the taxman will greet you on your birthday, wedding anniversary
Is your birthday or marriage anniversary around the corner? Guess who is gearing up to wish you this time-the income-tax department.
Adopting a more peoplefriendly approach, the I-T department is gearing up for more direct interactions with taxpayers through SMSes, which includes sending wishes for special occasions.
Taxpayers will also be acknowledged for their contributions towards revenue generation, as the department will now send information about annual tax collections.
“We are increasing our interactions with tax payers. Why should a taxpayer hear from us only when there is trouble with filings?” said a top official in the tax department, who did not wish to be named.
“Our aim is to make the taxpayers feel comforted, we want to appreciate them and the department will take steps to do so,” revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia told HT.
Soon, online profiles of taxpayers will include details of their marriage anniversaries. “It is optional for a taxpayer to disclose his/her wedding date. We want to use it to wish the taxpayer,” said the source quoted above.
Taxmen also want people to keep track of their deductions, which will be sent through SMSes. The modalities of the process are being worked out.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is keen to crack down on black money, has underlined the need for tax officials to remove the fear of harassment from the minds of taxpayers. During a meeting with tax officials in June, Modi had asked the department to work towards bridging the “trust deficit”.
The message is clear: While no taxpayer will be allowed to hoard unaccounted assets, the department will also develop a soft and friendly image.
“We will also send SMSes about tax collections and where the money is being spent. This is a measure to ensure Indians feel part of the nation-building process,” said another source in the finance ministry on the condition of anonymity.
This gesture will encourage assessees, said Manoj Fadnis, former president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India . “Small steps like these can go a long way in making people compliant.”
Meanwhile, the government’s Income Disclosure Scheme (IDS) 2016, which closed on September 30, saw the exchequer net ₹30,000 crore in taxes from disclosures made. IDS was a four-month window offered to taxpayers with illegal wealth to come out clean.