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Scope for expansion of tax base, says Adhia

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The income tax (I-T) department has decided to hold extensive publicity campaigns on the Black Money Disclosure Scheme launched on June 1. Also, to widen the tax base and devise ways to check the issue of undisclosed money, it was decided at the two-day Rajasva Gyan Sangam, a retreat for the tax administrators that concluded on Friday.
Tax departments will work to improve payer services, increasing the tax base, checking evasion, reducing litigation and digitising processes, said revenue secretary Hasmukh Adhia.
“We had an entire session on strategies to tackle the menace of black money in the system. The ideas or the strategy that emerged cannot be revealed,” he added.
A website will be opened to monitor the efforts by officers to increase the popularity of the Income Declaration Scheme and the Direct Tax Dispute Resolution Scheme.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his inaugural address on Thursday had outlined a five-point charter for tax administrators — RAPID, which stands for revenue, accountability, probity, information and digitisation to reform the system.
The black money compliance scheme is in the form of a four-month window that remains open till September 30, allowing assessees to declare hitherto unaccounted money and assets by paying a tax of 45 per cent.
For the first time  the Central Board of Direct Taxes and Central Board of Excise & Customs came together for a conference, with simultaneous sessions.  The two-day Sangam was attended by close to 250 officers of the ranks of principal chief commissioners, chief commissioners and principal commissioners from CBDT and 170 from the CBEC.
Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, in his interaction with the officials, asked them to focus on grievance redressal and increasing their interaction with the public. “He said ministers in the Cabinet are more accessible than tax officers, which needs to be changed. He asked us to take out two hours each day to interact with the public and understand their concerns,” said an official who did not wish to be identified.
Sinha also urged them to identify global best practices and brainstorm over those.
Business Standard New Delhi,18th June 2016

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