IT notice to Jammu traders, officials

The income tax department in Jammu & Kashmir has issued a circular asking traders, government employees and police officials to file their returns before March 31 or face penalty proceedings.

The circular, issued from the summer capital of Jammu, has been sent to all heads of government departments with instructions to ask their employees to file their income returns before the due date.

As far as traders are concerned, income tax department officials said over 15,000 prospective tax payers had been evading their income tax returns.

"These prospective tax payers are under the strict watch of the income tax department and if they failed to file their returns before March 31, 2006, action as warranted under Income Tax Act will be taken against them," an official said.

To facilitate the tax returns, the department will help traders in obtaining a Permanent Account Number (PAN) and filing returns as from January this year the IT Department has not been accepting Income Tax returns without PAN.