THE taxman is preparing to invite a large number of prospective taxpayers to his office to file tax returns. The invitation is with a smile since politeness is the buzzword now, for a change. Till December 31.
File, Smile and Go. If you don't, there's no place you can hide.
THE taxman is preparing to invite a large number of prospective taxpayers to his office to file tax returns. The invitation is with a smile since politeness is the buzzword now, for a change. Till December 31.
The starting block is the 2-of-4 scheme in a number of cities countrywide, where a person who fulfils two criteria of owning a motor vehicle, a telephone, owning or occupying a house of a minimum size, or having travelled overseas in the last one year, will necessarily have to file his tax return. And the IT department is burning the midnight oil getting records pertaining to these four factors. And some more.
In Delhi, for example, the department has already acquired data from the Delhi Vidyut Board, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam, and Municipal Corporation of Delhi. So, if your annual electricity or telephone bill is in excess of Rs 15,000, you can't say your income isn't in the taxable bracket. Details have also been acquired from the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office regarding foreign travel records of 32 lakh Indians, of whom many have set foot abroad more than once in the last 12 months. A similar activity is already afoot in Mumbai, Bangalore, Calcutta, Chennai, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and several other cities.
If the plot till now has some resemblance to a Bollywood blockbuster, and you are wondering why the villain still has not been introduced, hold your breath. There are no villains in this movie, only a polite letter which individuals could consider smoothly villainous. The letter will request the person to file his return if he fulfils the 2-of-4 criteria. In the end, almost as an afterthought, the letter will mention the department will be compelled to issue statutory notices if the return is not filed. "The emphasis will now onwards be to file, smile and go," says an officer. If that slogan can be implemented, it should be an incentive to join the exclusive club of taxpayers in India. The other incentive? Says the officer: "From now on, tax evaders can run, but they can't hide."