A three-month extension in deadlines for tax payment and filing of returns notwithstanding, the Income-Tax Department has asked field formations to contact large taxpayers over phone or email to follow up on pending collections.
Rakesh Gupta, Commissioner of Income Tax (Coordination & Systems), Central Board of Direct Tax (CBDT), last week asked field formations to submit a daily report on follow-ups on pending tax collections from large taxpayers.
While most tax officers working from home in view of the lockdown announced to check the spread of Covid-19, it is possible to continue working in today's connected world, the message to officials said.
"While the ITBA (Income Tax Business Application) platform is not available to the officers for discharging statutory functions, it is still possible to follow up the pending collection matters by contacting large taxpayers telephonically/electronically," Gupta wrote.
The message came within days of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing three months extension in the deadline for filing of income tax returns as well as payment of delayed advanced tax, self-assessment tax, regular tax, tax deducted at source, tax collected source, and securities transaction tax.
The directive from CIT (C&S) has not gone down well with officers with their association writing to CBDT Chairman against it.
The joint body of Income Tax Employees Federation & Income Tax Gazetted Officers' Association in the letter expressed surprise at the direction "to pressurize the assesses/defaulters to pay taxes when the Finance Minister has recently announced various extensions of the statutory compliances including the extension of the last date for the (dispute resolution scheme) Vivad se Vishvash scheme and also reduced the penal interest rates."