Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, the Hon’ble Finance Minister, has released statistics which prove that the Income-tax department is indeed a dreaded den of corruption. In the year 2018 itself, 1441 complaints were received by the CBDT from hapless taxpayers against the officials of the Department. The Finance Minister has solemnly assured Parliament that the Government is taking strict action against such officials. She has also listed out the several steps which have been taken by the Government to ensure corruption free tax administration in the Country
Press Release Reg Corruption Cases
The complainant against the officers under the Department of Revenue received through CVC, individuals and other sources are dealt as per the existing guidelines of CVC and DOPT.
(i) The details of complaints received in Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) are as under:-
|
Sr. No. |
F.Y. |
No. of complaints received |
|
1 |
2016 |
1715 |
|
2 |
2017 |
1508 |
|
3 |
2018 |
1441 |
(ii) The details of prosecution launched by Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Custom (CBIC) under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 are as under:-
|
Sr. No. |
F.Y. |
No. of prosecution cases |
|
1 |
2016 |
29 |
|
2 |
2017 |
15 |
|
3 |
2018 |
40 |
(iii) Vigilance Branch of Revenue Headquarters is dealing with three disciplinary cases against IRS officers.
The details of prosecution cases under Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 in Public Sector Banks are as under:-
|
Sr. No. |
Year |
No. of Cases |
|
1 |
2015 |
11 |
|
2 |
2016 |
9 |
|
3 |
2017 |
10 |
Departmental Proceedings have been initiated by Directorate of Enforcement(ED) in 6 cases.
There are 15 cases pending in Department of Economic Affairs against the officers of Securities and Exchange Board of India(SEBI), Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Limited(SPMCIL) under various charges.
This is an ongoing process. Communication is received from Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) from time to time recommending strict action against such officers. However, there are no such cases in which no action have been taken.
Steps to ensure corruption free tax administration in the country
The following steps, inter-alia have been taken by the Government to ensure corruption free tax administration in the country:
(i) Online system for internal whistle-blower has been put in place to get the vital feedback and complaints through department’s portal.
(ii) Reduction in human interface with tax payer with the introduction of higher digitization such as e-filing, e- assessment, e-appeal, e-nivaran.
(iii) Guidelines have been issued for ensuring that the assessing officers do not increase the scope of investigation in Limited Scrutiny cases without following due procedure.
(iv) Guidelines have been issued laying down specific responsibilities during conduct of surveys and in post survey operations to obviate the possibilities of any wrongdoing.
(v) All field formations have been asked to install CCTV cameras in corridors and public spaces.
(vi) Checklists and Standard Operating Procedures have been laid down for Inquiry Officers to minimize instances of defective Inquiry Reports.
(vii) System studies are being conducted by Zonal ADsG to identify potential areas of corruption and suggest systemic improvements.
Further, The government has taken a gamut of steps to comprehensively ensure corruption free tax administration in the country which includes preventive vigilance, systemic and administrative reforms, streamlining process to reduce employee trade interface and robust preventive vigilance mechanism. In order to have a corruption free tax administration, all-out effort is being made by taking regular action in the areas of Punitive, Preventive and Participative vigilance.
This was stated by Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance & Corporate Affairs in a written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
The aspect of corruption is deep rooted as is observed from the readers’ views which are real and CPC is another rouge and deaf to the genuinely sought reliefs by the assessee. Those dealing with the department on regular basis only know what the root cause is. The department earns its salaries from the taxes we pay and instead of respecting the taxpayers genuinely they try to dry them up in most cases. The law is complex howsoever the bureaucracy simplifies it, it moves no further. The online filing made some dent but there also snags, access during last days becomes impossible, one such is MCA21 besides tax department be it GST or income tax or more recently FCRA where it is happening so often with change of forms, complicated communications, delay of single day due to inaccessibility of servers play havoc but who cares as the taxpayers are big a fish to be ruthlessly hunted along. These claims of transparency of all the departments should be put to scrutiny. Online filing may become horror as you are not allowed to rectify genuine mistake in GST portal while taxman may do so many, every now and then by way of amendments under the cover of system still work in process! One simple mistake in some portals will land your NGO fight endlessly for its revival. The need is there for one dedicated portal under highest authority to monitor such issues with deft professionals from all walks of life monitoring it to award fair treatment where taxpayers efforts fail or are of no avail in getting relief. In fact the body so formed should evaluate the performance of departments in matter of redressal of grievances. This may prove effective than merely referring disputes or complaints to the departments.
I think for the first time any Finance Minister came out with such explicit statements and accepting prevailing status of corruption in the Income-tax and also acknowledged the fact that how much taxpayers are helpless against such corrupt officers (almost 95% officers are corrupt). Lets hope for the new dawn in coming era. However, the goal, though quite dreamy, cannot be achieved without putting accountability on the officers, who have been given discretionary powers, whether the assessment is conducted with human interface or without. But, alas, someone touched untouchable.
The AOs who framed high pitched assessments with out adequate and justifiable evidence should be made accountable and strict action should be taken against them. When high pitched assessment is disputed in appeal and assessment is cancelled by appellate authorities, erring officers service record should be marked with such failures and consequential action should be taken against them. Power of writing ‘confidential report’ in service book of AOs should be vested with CIT(Appeals) who is the best judge to evaluate the working of officers.
Let us wish that FM succeeds in her efforts to make the department corruption free. It is a Herculean task.
I have a complaints against PSU banks SBI and CBI ( separate cases ). No one listens. Give to me name and email address, who listens and to whom I may write.
I also have complaint against ECGC, running into crores of Rupees, this Institution has deprived me of my legally due funds. ECGC is such a MONARCH, THAT IT HAS STOPPED EVEN ACCEPTING MY EMAILS. ITS OWN PRIVATE POSTMASTER WHO RETURNS MY EMAILS, SINCE THE CHIEF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF GRIEVANCES MR.PRASAD, HAS LEFT A PERMANENT INSTRUCTION TO DECLINE MY MESSAGES. ALREADY 15 MESSAGES RETURNED.NO SERIAL GRIEVANCE NUMBER HAS BEEN GIVEN TO MY GRIEVANCE EVEN AFTER MORE THAN 100 EMAILS ( A MANDATORY REQUIREMENT OF ECGC BOARD RESOLUTION NO.371/S1-01 DATED 23TH NOVEMBER 2010 ON CUSTOMER GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL POLICY ). THIS FRAUD IS IMPLEMENTED IN COLLUSION OF STATE BANK OF INDIA.
You may write to Banking Ombudsman of your state. Address is available on RBI website on following link:
https://m.rbi.org.in/CommonPerson/english/scripts/againstbankabo.aspx
ALL IS BIG PUBLICITY STUNT. ALL THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES ARE DEN OF CORRUPTION AND INCOME TAX DEPARTMENT IS DEN OF SOPHISTICATED CORRUPTION.
The Finance Minister is very optimistic on removal of corruption in tax department. May god bless her.
The number of cases of corruption reported is on decreasing trend but in fact that may not be so. The minister did not bring out the action taken report on such reported cases of corruption.Many cases of corruption do not come to notice of the authorities as the people fear that if they lodge complaints then they would be subjected to more and more troubles by the officials.
It is often told by assessees that during surveys and searches unnecessary pressure being build up by tax officials, the assessees are forced to surrender certain amount as undisclosed income and the game starts.
Faceless scrutiny of cases is bound to create more troubles to the assessees as the officers scrutinizing documents may not be getting the point and explanation of the assessee properly may be because of lack of clarity in explanations submitted by the assessees or corroborating the information with documents and properly interpreting the same and resulting in high pitched assessments and then the assessee has to go for appellate proceedings.
There should be a procedure to fix responsibility of the erring officer also who makes high pitched assessments and wherever the assessing officer is going to make additions he should afford an opportunity afresh to the assessee to explain his points against approved additions and no such additions be made without approval of the supervising official so that high pitched assessments are avoided. In many cases high pitched assessments are made simply because the assessee does not agree to pay bribe.
No doubt, centralized processing of returns has put down the corruption in so far as granting of refunds is concerned yet the CPC is also harassing he innocent tax payers by not allowing credits for taxes paid, TDS/TCS already appearing in Form 26AS, the efiling site clearly showing that there in no mismatch in tax credit claimed and still full credit for prepaid taxes is not given and either refunds are reduced or demands are created and then the assessee has to waste his time and energy to file rectification requests. The reason for such erroneous processing of refunds could be faulty software also which must be addressed properly.
Where the assessee is entitled to claim relief u/s 89(1) on account of receipt of arrears of salaries, the relief is granted on filing form 10E but interest u/s 234A, 234B and 234C is being charged even where full tax has been paid before 31st March of the relevant previous year by way of TDS and/or advance income tax and to utmost surprise when there is no tax liability in cse of small tax payer after relief u/s 89(1) still teh CPC is charging interest which is highly illogical but there is no one to bother at CPC as all such rectification applications are mechanically processed without correcting the interest wrongly, illogically and illegally charged and the assessee cannot even file appeal as no appeal lies against interest charged by teh ITD. The only remedy then one has is to go to Honourable High Court with a writ but it is not as easy task for small tax payers.
To me it appears that it is a night mare only that the tax department will become corruption free.
Corruption is there like blood cancer in the tax department. Installation of CCTV is no guarantee to eradicate corruption.
Let us hope that the Finance Minister accomplishes her task to make the tax departments corruption free and we pray the Almighty that he shower his blessings on the taxpayers of India by making eh tax departments corruption free as also not doing wrongs while making assessments.
at random pick 50 or 100 letters received in the inward section. verify what are all the letters attended and what are the lettes NOt attended. This will give you good no. of stories which will give a clear picture of the functioning of the IT dept.
Since Mr.NAMO came to power we are hearing this. In fact what happened is Corruption became free and not Corruption free. Else it is inefficiency and blatantly erroneous orders not just at AO’s level but even by Appellate Commissioners. No review of such work and more harrasment.