Income tax unions warn of protest against new software 'ITBA' rollout

Employees and officers unions of the Income Tax Department have warned of a nationwide stir against the implementation of the new advance software package--IT Biz Application (ITBA)--from October 1 and asked the department to delay the same by at least three months.

They have set an October 31 deadline to the department to meet their demands, which include delaying the implementation of the new software to January 1 and giving them time to learn the new system and also to stop hiring technical experts on a contractual basis.

L&T Infotech bags '$100 million contract' to help pin down tax evaders

The ambitious initiative to use social media analytics to identify tax non-compliance is a $100 million project for the infotech arm of engineering giant Larsen & Toubro, according to a company official.

Since the note ban last November, the government has been putting in lots of efforts to plug the loopholes in the taxation system using advanced technology and the attempt got an added focus since the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in June had admitted that as much 99% of the banned banknotes had returned to the system, negating the stated intent of cancelling 87% of the notes in circulation.

“That is really advanced analytics. Now, that is like a $100-million deal for us. It’s not a small deal,” L&T Infotech chief executive and managing director Sanjay Jalona told PTI.

Terming the work awarded by the Central Board of Direct Taxes as a “high volume digital deal”, he elaborated that the project involves creating a ‘semantic web’ where web pages are structured and tagged in such a way that can be directly read by the computers. “We are creating a systematic web on a person. If his wife is going to the Seychelles and putting photos on Instagram, we will capture it ... that is really advanced analytics,” Jalona said.

1% Incentive scheme : Laptop, mobile and many more ?

CBDT asked proposal for 1% incentive scheme to utilize Rs 615 crores to improve efficiency and capabilities of Officers and Officials of Income Tax Dept.
Set up of resource centre, Laptop for ITO onwards/AO/PS/Inspectors, Mobile phones, AC in office, are under active consideration and under process which amounts to Rs 264 Crores.
New schemes and proposals invited from Pr CCIT/CCIT/Pr DGIT/DGIT has been sought for utilization of the remaining amount.
Click here for details

Draft all India seniority list of ITOs published

As per N R Parmar judgement, CBDT published draft seniority list of ITOs from vacancy year 2006-07 to 2012-13.
All Pr CCITs have to publish it in the noticeboard for all concerned. Any objection may be forwarded to respective Pr CCIT for suitable action.
Click here for the letter

Click here for the Draft Seniority List

End Training Exam for ITOs : Different CAT stays Exam, JCA to boycott

After Chandigarh, Allahabad and Mumbai, CAT Kolkata Bench has also stayed the proposed exam for newly promoted ITOs after training. 
Click here for the Kolkata CAT order 
All India JCA in the meantime wrote a letter to Chairman CBDT to withdraw the instruction . 
"..e Central JCA has given a call to its members all over the Country, who are/ will be participating in the Orientation Course for the newly promoted ITOs, not to appear in the said examinations at the end of the Course till the Instruction dated 28‐02‐2017 is withdrawn. We would therefore like to request your honour once again to kindly withdraw the Instruction dated 28‐02‐2017 immediately."
Click here for the JCA letter
It may be mentioned that DTRTI Kolkata proposed to conduct the exam on 31st July 2017 and the CAT order is a timely intervention at the crucial juncture.