Income-tax officials give thumbs down to govt's faceless assessment move

Dubbed an important initiative in tax reforms, the government launched the faceless assessment scheme in a bid to eliminate the interface between the assessee and the tax officer

The Centre’s plan of faceless assessment has not gone down well with income-tax officials. Days before its introduction on October 7, they had sent a complaint letter to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), claiming that the new scheme was implemented in a “hurry without considering the concerns of the majority of the stakeholders”.

In the letter dated October 3, tax sleuths had expressed their “strong displeasure” over unilateral decision-making, saying it was not in the interest of the efficient working of the I-T department. The letter also highlighted several related issues such as diversion of posts, and transfer of