Against a target of adding 1,37,470 new income tax assessees this year, the income tax department has achieved achieved a 78.62 per cent target so far. Further, more than a dozen surveys have been conducted so far this year on targets suspected of concealing taxable income in the state. There are instances of blatant tax evasion in the state, said the chief commissioner of income tax, Rajani Kant Gupta.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, the chief commissioner of income tax said that the Centre had given a target of adding 137470 new income tax assessees in Uttarakhand this year and eight months later, the department had logged 108089 new assessees which is about 78.62 per cent of the target number. By the end of the financial year, more than the target number of new assessees are expected to be added.
Earlier, by March 31, 2018, a total of 7,68,213 assessees had filed their income tax returns in Uttarakhand. Gupta further informed that since he had assumed charge in Uttarakhand in September, 16 surveys have been undertaken and about Rs 30 crore undeclared income was ascertained. He said that there are instances of blatant tax evasion in the state with specific evidence being found by the department. He further said that in order to reduce the considerable number of litigation, the department has decided to refrain from appealing against decisions of the commissioner of income tax (Appeals) wherein the tax effect is up to Rs 20 lakh. Similarly in the High Court and Supreme Court, the department will not file appeal in cases wherein the tax effect is up to Rs 50 lakh and Rs one crore respectively.
Sixty four such cases have been withdrawn from the tribunal and 13 from the high court, he said, adding that this stance will not be observed in prosecution cases. In the current year, against the budget target of Rs 12179 crore, the department has collected Rs 6309 crore or 57 per cent of the target. In June 2018, ONGC had submitted the first installment of advance tax amounting to Rs 1,800 crore which about double the amount of the first installment last year.
He also informed that with online tax assessment being facilitated, about 95 assessments in the state have been filed online.
The principal commissioner of income tax, Suniti Srivastav was also present in the Press conference.
