Jaitley hits back at Kejriwal for making ‘incorrect’ statements

NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday hit out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for making “factually incorrect” statements on the proposed changes in the Income Tax Law saying the steeper penalties proposed on black money deposits are in addition to 200 per cent provision for misreporting of income.

Responding to Kejriwal’s charge that the Modi government had slashed penalty on black money from 200 per cent to 10 per cent, Jaitley took to the twitter to explain the features of the amendments passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday.

“The existing provision of penalty of 200 per cent for misreporting income under Section 270A has not been changed,” he said.

The amendment changes the existing provision of charging only 30 per cent tax on unexplained cash shown in the Income Tax returns to 60 per cent tax, plus 25 per cent of tax as surcharge and 3 per cent of tax as cess.

“This is a total of 77 per cent of tax in case if assessee shows it in the (Income Tax) Return. Otherwise 85 per cent of income will be payable as tax plus penalty,” Jaitley said.

Also, penalty for search and seizure has been raised from existing 10 and 20 per cent to 30 per cent even if assessee admits and shows it in his returns. “Otherwise 60 per cent of income will be the penalty.” In the newly introduced Pradhan Mantri GKY, apart from 50 per cent of income being taken as tax, penalty and surcharge, 25 per cent of disclosed income has to be kept as interest free deposit for four years, he said.

“Factually incorrect statements have been made by @ Arvindkejriwal in relation to changes proposed in the Taxation Law,” he said. “Why should a former IRS officer, @ Arvindkejriwal factually misrepresent changes in the Taxation Law?” he asked.

Meanwhile, In a bid to reduce cash transactions, government departments in Puducherry will make pay- ments using e-wallet system, Lt Governor Kiran Bedi said on Wednesday.

“There will be no transaction in cash as the bank cash should be available to the common man who did not have credit cards or e-banking facilities,” she told reporters.

“Puducherry government will hereafter make payments for its transactions only through ‘e-wallet’ system and not through cash,” she said.

Transactions between government and business and vice versa will be only on the basis of e-wallet and digital banking system, Bedi added.

“The government will adopt the system so as to bring down the cash transaction,” she said on the sidelines of a function at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research.