Tax reassessment past deadline is a symptom

'Over the years this government, obsessed with alliterative dazzle, has talked about transparent taxation and honouring the honest', says the author

Every few days the state comes across as a vile bully in a schoolyard who takes pleasure in taking apart other helpless kids. You never know who is next; the state’s moves are arbitrary. But one department that is relentless in inventing new ways of harassment is the revenue department. Since early April, the income tax department has been sending out notices, seeking to reassess income tax liability for financial years 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16. The department has decided that despite draconian measures such as disclosures, linking accounts and assets, smarter use of data analytics, widespread scrutiny, some are apparently