The Income Tax Department will soon operationalise the already notified e-verification scheme intended to verify information received from various reporting financial entities with the details filed in the income tax returns (ITRs) by the taxpayers.
The scheme was earlier notified under a provision in Income Tax Act 135A that proposes faceless information gathering aimed at imparting efficiency, transparency and accountability by eliminating the interface between the income-tax authority and the assessee. It also seeks to optimize use of the department’s resources.
In an online session organised by the tax department Thursday, Kamlesh C Varshney, Joint Secretary, Finance Ministry said taxpayers should utilise the facility of filing updated returns to fill in gaps of any mismatch in information or omission in the returns.
“CBDT has notified an e-verification scheme under Section 135A of the Income-tax Act, which will be operational very soon. The Department obtains information from various reporting entities. It’s voluminous information, it will be run through a risk management programme and from that more risk-oriented information and then shared with the taxpayer … then the taxpayer can come forward, and explain and produce necessary evidence to say how it is explained in your tax return, then no action will be taken against you. So you can satisfy the tax officer and the officer will drop the proceedings. This will happen online and the taxpayer need not visit the tax office,” he said.
Varshney added, “No order is required to be passed in this case because this is not a notice for reopening or reassessment. This is only for verification. Once that is verified, further steps will not be taken by the Income Tax Department. Or in case this information was missed out, then you can update your tax return, then the matter will end there. But in some cases, where we do not get any response, then we get to the next stage. And we are hoping that those cases falling under the next stage will be very minimal.”
For ready reference of our readers the highlights of e-verification scheme are given below:
The Central Board of Direct Taxes vides notification dated 13th December 2021 has published the e-Verification Scheme, 2021. This scheme is notified under section 135A of the Income Tax Act, 1961 and covers faceless information collection from the assessee and its verification. The Scheme shall be applicable to deal with the mismatch of the information uploaded to the taxpayer‘s registered account.
Scope of the e-Verification Scheme
- The scope of the Scheme shall be in respect to collecting information under sections 133, 133B, 133C, 135 of the Income Tax Act.
- The information will also be collected if the register of companies is to be inspected in a faceless way to the extent technologically feasible under section 134 of the Income Tax Act.
Applicability of e-Verification Scheme
The scheme shall be applicable for processing the information which has the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or made available to the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems by following Tax Authorities:
- The Director-General of Income-tax (Intelligence and Criminal Investigation)
- The Commissioner of Income-tax in charge of the Centralized Processing Centre for processing of returns
- The Commissioner of Income-tax in charge of the Centralized Processing Centre (TDS) for processing of statement of tax deducted at source
Electronic Collection and Verification of Information
As per the e-Verification Scheme, 2021, the government has empowered the tax office to gather more information from the taxpayers and reconcile it with information received from other specified agencies.
In case there is any mismatch between the amount reported by the taxpayer and the amount reported after such first e-verification, the information could be passed for the intelligence and criminal investigation
Procedure for Electronic Collection and Verification of Information
The Procedure for Electronic Collection and Verification of Information under the e-Verification Scheme, 2021 is explained below:
Collection of Information
The Commissioner of Income-tax shall collect the information from the assessee. The Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems) will make available the information to the Commissioner of Income-tax.
The Scheme shall be applicable to deal with the mismatch of the information uploaded to the taxpayer’s registered account.
- The Commissioner of Income-tax shall collect information that was uploaded to the registered account or sent on the registered mobile number of the assessee and not accepted by him or in a case where no response has been received from the assessee within ninety days
- The Commissioner of Income-tax shall collect in respect of which no registered email account or mobile number is on record
Initial e-verification
The Commissioner of Income-tax (e-Verification) shall process the information made available to it for initial e-verification.
The initial e-verification will be through an automated issuance of communication to the source from where the information is received and the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems) will enable such automated communication.
Analysis of Risk Criteria
If the mismatch between the amount accepted by the assessee and the amount reported by the reporting entity persists, the information after such initial e-verification shall be run through a risk management strategy laid down by the CBDT.
- The information found to be no or low risk on such risk criteria, where no further action is required, shall be processed for closure.
- The remaining information will be transferred electronically by the Principal Director General of Income-tax (Systems) or Director General of Income-tax (Systems), to the Prescribed Authority through a process of automated allocation system.
Preliminary Verification Report
The verification of the information will be completed by the Prescribed Authority in the manner as per the procedure laid down in this regard by the Director-General of Income-tax (Intelligence and Criminal Investigation), with the prior approval of the CBDT.
The information verified shall be sent back electronically in the form of a preliminary verification report for verification to the Commissioner of Income-tax (e-Verification).
Final Verification Report
Based on the final verification report, the information found to be a low risk under the criteria approved by the CBDT shall be considered for closure.
The remaining information in the form of the final verification report shall be processed in the following process:
- If the information pertains to a pending scrutiny assessment, it shall be made available electronically to the Faceless Assessing Officer or Jurisdictional Assessing Officer
- If the information does not pertain to a pending scrutiny assessment, it shall be utilized for further necessary action under the provisions of the Income Tax Act.
Click here to Read / Download e-Verification Scheme, 2021
Source : Indianexpress.com
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