Check details about your new tax assessment
range if you are going to file Income
Tax returns, apply for refunds or conduct any I-T related business in
future.
A huge cadre restructuring in the I-T
department, with the creation of over 20,700 posts recently, has brought about
a number of changes in the existing jurisdictions of assessing officers (AOs)
of the department across the country.
A huge cadre restructuring has been effected
in the Income Tax department across the country recently. With new posts and
charges in place, a number of taxpayers will find that their AOs and assessment
jurisdictions have changed. But there is nothing to panic," a senior
officer in the department said.
Taxpayers, the officer added, should check
their new jurisdictions by undertaking a simple search on the designated I-T
online portal which shows an individuals' or taxpayers' AO by
punching PAN card details.
One can log on to incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
and click the link 'know your jurisdictional AO' to check under what assessment
range their I-T cases would be assessed in the future. The department's Systems
wing has already punched and put in place unique details of every Permanent
Account Number (PAN).
"Not everyone's AO would have changed
under the new exercise but it is recommended that the taxpayers undertake this
simple step of checking their AO by using their PAN card details. In case of
online filing of I-T
returns, the system will automatically find the AO of the filer," the
officer said.
The officer added that the "aim of the
restructuring is to check the skewed distribution of posts in the department
and to ensure identical hierarchal structure so that the department can
effectively tackle taxpayers grievances and issues and ensure better tax
collection."
The government had approved the ambitious
cadre restructuring of the department in May, 2013 and had created 20,751
posts, in various ranks, in the department.
According to an earlier blueprint prepared to
implement this proposal on the ground, the I-T hopes to mop up an additional
revenue of more than Rs 25 crore by opening 1,080 assessment offices for
taxpayers and increasing the number of tax collectors in every office.
According to the blueprint, the number of
assessment units of the department would be "increased by 1,080 from 3,420
to 4,500 for strengthening the tax administration."
The restructuring of the department also aims
to expand the reach of those I-T offices which deal with "critical"
areas of international tax, investigations, and Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) as
the action undertaken by these wings add to the revenue collection in a big
way.
Source:-The Economic Times
