CBDT notifies 30 Evaluation Centres in 20 cities as a part of New Faceless Assessment Scheme

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Thursday notified the Regional e-Evaluation Centres with 30 headquarters throughout 20 cities to cover PAN-India together with Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai, under the faceless evaluation scheme.

Each of the regional centres, which may have a separate overview unit and verification unit, will report back to the Nationwide e-Evaluation Centre (NeAC), which may challenge randomized notices of scrutiny.

The structural change has been introduced into rapid impact, and intently follows directives below the Clear Taxation platform launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, aimed toward easing taxpayers’ woes and simplifying the tax administration.

Each of the regional centers, which will have a separate review unit and verification unit, will report to the National e-Assessment Centre.

The Board amended the E-assessment Scheme, 2019 to call it the Faceless Assessment Scheme, soon after the Prime Minister’s announcements for implementing faceless assessments. As per the changes, the principal chief commissioner of income tax or principal director general of income tax will be in-charge of NeAC and will have powers to refer a case to a jurisdictional assessing officer at any stage of assessment, with prior Board approval.

“All cases of persons in respect of all incomes within the limits of all States and Union Territories of India with respect to whom there is any information in the possession of Directorate of Income-tax (Systems), Central Board of Direct Taxes,” the notification said.