The Income Tax Department has taken yet another initiative to help the taxpayers with their basic queries about the tax filings. The Department has launched an ‘online chat’ service to answer the taxpayers’ questions related to income tax.
On the main website of the Income Tax, a window has been hosted by an icon stating ‘Live Chat Online – ask your query.’ This “Live Chat” window will take questions on tax matters from Monday to Friday between 10 a.m and 5 p.m.
Once you click on the icon, it will take you to a new window where you will have to write your name, email ID and query to start the chat.
The Income Tax department launched an app that allows entities track Tax Deducted at Source (TDS), pay taxes and apply for Permanent Account Number (PAN).
It will also help people link their 12-digit biometric identifier Aadhaar with PAN card. The mobile app Aaykar Setu, launched by finance minister Arun Jaitley, will be available on Android phones.
This is a very important step forward by the CBDT ( Central Board of Direct Taxes) and the principle reason being technology as a very powerful tool becomes an enabler. With the app most of the work the assessee can discharge without any external help sitting at home, the minister said.
Last year, the I-T department had set up a newly dedicated directorate within its establishment to monitor and resolve grievances of taxpayers.
How to download this app?
The new initiative is a step by the I-T department to directly communicate with the taxpayers on a range of multiple informative and useful tax services aimed at providing tax information at their fingertips.
This is the first mobile app by the CBDT and can be downloaded by giving missed calls to 7306525252.
A window has been hosted on the main page of the department’s website www.incometaxindia.gov.in — with a prominent icon stating ‘Live Chat Online- ask your query’.
The module compiles various tax tools, live chat facility, dynamic updates, and important links to various processes within the I-T department in a single module.
The taxpayers will also be able to receive regular updates regarding important tax dates, forms, and notifications on mobile numbers registered with the department.
All taxpayers who wish to receive such SMS alerts are advised to register their mobile numbers in the Aaykar Setu module.
How this app will act?
The app is in the series of actions taken by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to provide better taxpayer services and reduce grievances.
#Taxpayers can seek answers to their basic questions and doubts regarding direct taxing issues by means of the online chat option available on the Income Tax department’s official website.
#“A team of experts from the department and independent tax practitioners has been deputed to answer the general queries of a taxpayer. The first-time initiative is aimed to enhance taxpayer services in the country,” an Income Tax officer told PTI.
#The officer added that other features would be added to the online chat system based on the feedback the department receives.
#The officer further said that an option has also been provided to the taxpayer for emailing the entire chat to their IDS for future reference.
#Displayed on the main page of the official Income Tax website, users can simply click the icon marked ‘Live Chat Online- ask your query’ to log on to the chat room page. To enter the ‘chat room’ users are only required to enter their email id after which they can ask questions as a guest.
#The chatting option comes with a disclaimer: “The replies are based on the opinion of the expert and in no manner it should be interpreted as the clarification by the income-tax department on any matter.”
What is the aim behind this step?
This is a very important step forward by the CBDT and the principle reason being technology as a very powerful tool becomes an enabler. With the app most of the work the assessee can discharge without any external help sitting at home,” the minister said.
The app is in the series of actions taken by the Central Board of Direct Taxes to provide better taxpayer services and reduce grievances.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes or CBDT, the apex policy-making body of the tax department, recently decided to enlarge the ambit of the 2006 Tax Return Preparer Scheme (TRPS) by making the service “digital” and covering all the 708 districts of the country.
A senior official working on the project reportedly said the aim was to ensure hassle-free and ‘from home’ tax filing service to assessees without they taking pains to go to a Chartered Accountant or a person who has expertise in filing tax returns.
Apart from the online facility, the department is also planning to help taxpayers on the ground. Earlier this month, the Income Tax Department proposed to appoint 7,600 additional experts to assist small taxpayers in filing ITR.
How the app become helpful?
#“The app reduces the physical interface between assessing officer (AO) and assessees. Physical interface has many unintended consequences it is time-consuming and can lead to improprieties,” Jaitley said.
#The tax department, he said, has endeavored to reduce interface and a lot of it has already happened.
#“It has become far more convenient. Secondly, it also makes compliance far easier.”
#“It also helps us in improving the image of the department. For the reason that one of the not so acceptable alibis given by those who don’t comply is we don’t comply because of the harassment that compliance involves. Not that this reason has much reason in it, but today this reason gets eliminated more the interface is reduced,” he said.
#Jaitley said an external audit must be done to see how much of the interface has been reduced and which are the other areas where it can be done.
#”The replies are based on the opinion of the expert and in no manner it should be interpreted as the clarification by the Income Tax Department on any matter,” it says.
Bravery Truth !! 