The Central Board of Direct Taxes ( CBDT ) Chairman, Nitin Gupta, announced the disposal of 62,000 tax appeals by the end of December 2023. With this accomplishment, the focus now shifts towards resolving high-value tax demands and older appeals, with an expected uptick in the pace of resolution.
Mr. Gupta emphasised the operational readiness of the Commissioner of Income-Tax (Appeals) offices, highlighting the successful handling of technical issues and the availability of video conferencing facilities. He noted the significant progress made by the Joint Commissioners of Income-tax (Appeals), with 60 officials now operational across the country, as per the Budget 2023 announcement.
While Gupta refrained from providing a specific time frame due to the inherent time-consuming nature of the appellate process, he revealed that targets have been set for disposing of old and high-value appeals.
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One notable challenge highlighted by the CBDT Chairman is the failure of assessees to update their email addresses on the e-filing portal, a prerequisite for expedited appeal disposal.
The CBDT chairman also announced that the income tax department will autonomously clear pending petty tax demands for approximately 80 lakh taxpayers. This initiative follows the government’s proposal, as outlined in the interim Budget, to withdraw direct tax demands up to Rs 25,000 for the fiscal year 2009-10 and up to Rs 10,000 for the financial years 2010-11 to 2014-15.
Also read: ITR Update: CBDT notifies Changes in Form ITR 6 in Accordance with Amendment in Finance Act, 2023 w.e.f. April 1st 2024
CBDT Chairman Mr. Gupta assured that the income tax department would erase these demands, relieving taxpayers of any action. The process is designed to be non-adverse to the assessee, and taxpayers won’t be contacted regarding this matter. However, details of the demands will be available on the individual taxpayers’ e-filing portal for review. If any issues arise, the department will address them promptly.
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