Many of my clients have been getting ITR Rectification notices u/s 154 for almost all the past 8-10 assessment years for which assessment orders u/s 143(1) had already been issued and refunds received. The standard wordings in such notices are:
Dear Madam/Sir,
Subject: Status of your ITR filed with CPC for PAN xxxxxxxxx, Assessment Year xxxxxx
Ref: – E-Filing Acknowledgement Number xxxxxxx Dated xxxxxx.
Your return for the above mentioned assessment year will henceforth be rectified by your Assessing Officer xxxxxxxxx. You are requested to contact your Jurisdictional assessing officer for any rectification related issues.You may also log on to https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in and click on “Know your Jurisdictional AO” under”SERVICES” menu for further details.
Upon analysis, I find that these notices are being issued only for those assessees who have certain ongoing taxation disputes in various forums.
I don’t know if this is the case only with my clients, or is happening to other assesses as well across India. Be that as it may, what is the objective of these notices? Is it not pressure tactics / harassment of assessees and furthermore, goes against the stated objectives of the government of promoting faceless assessments and no physical face to face interactions with the Income Tax Officers, presumably to reduce harassment and corruption?