I.T. returns may be accessed by mobile soon

Soon you will be able to access details about your income tax returns (ITR) and its processing on your cellphone. As the income tax (I-T) department is all set to enhance host of taxpayer-related services and shift to a new e-return filing platform in the coming months.

The new platform will come with various services, including one which will allow tax payers to check details such as refunds, deductions and tax demands on their cellphone.

Cadre Review : Note finalized, Cabinet nod soon.

It is learnt that CBDT has finalized the Cabinet Note for cadre review and restructure in Income Tax Dept. Within a week or two it will be presented to the PMO for including in the agenda for Cabinet meeting and the cabinet is expected to give it's consent in no time. Though ITGOA has objection in this proposal for reduction in entry level Group A posts with regard to the original proposal, ITEF has demanded early implementation. So the possibility of any unanimous move against the cadre review stands remote.

Good News for ITOs. DPC will be on 6th and 7th march for ACIT Promotion

Reasons for cheer for the promotee officers of Income Tax Dept. The long outstanding demand is going to be fulfilled soon. It is learnt that DPC for promotion to the cadre of ACIT is going to be held in Mumbai for R.Y 2011 and 2011-12.

I-T department staff to go on daylong strike on February 28

Even as the officials continue to stay away from searches and surveys, a section of the staff in the income tax (I-T) department has decided to go on a daylong strike on February 28, to protest against outsourcing, contract policy, price rise and wage revision.

Under the banner of the Income Tax Gazetted Officers' Association (ITGOA), the ITOs, ACITs and DCITs are already protesting to demand promotions pending for the last two years from December 5. The protest was suspended on January 3 as the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) assured that they would resolve the issue by the third week of January. But since the issue was not resolved, they resumed the protest from January 31 and is still on.

Their protest has affected the search and survey works, thus slowing down the process of tax collection. "To add to it, the strike will affect the work badly. It would cause serious problems as the financial year is getting over in little over a month's time (March 31) and we are far behind the tax collection target," said a senior I-T official on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

While around 5000 inspectors and other staff in Mumbai alomgwith the rest of the country will stop work on the designated day, around 1,000 income tax officers (ITOs), assistant commissioners of income tax (ACIT)/deputy commissioners of income tax (DCIT) and promotee joint and additional commissioners would walk out of the offices after the lunch hour. On an all-India level, around 45,000 inspectors and staff would strike work while 8,500 other senior officials would support them.

Mumbai has a tax collection target of Rs2.04 lakh crore.

"We are also supporting the February 28 agitation.

The morale of officers and staff in the department is very low because of many issues including the delay in promotions," said Rajesh Menon, secretary general, ITGOA.

In Mumbai, 80 promotions of officers from the rank of ITO to ACIT or DCIT are pending for the last two years.

The number of pending promotions in the country is more than 400.

(With inputs from Hindustan Times, Mumbai)

MPs want I T exemption limit to be hiked to 5 lacs

Ahead of the budget, some members of a Parliamentary panel scrutinising the Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill today pressed for raising the income taxexemption limit to Rs 5 lakh per annum.

The Standing Committee on Finance, which met under the chairmanship of senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha, has decided to finalise its report by March 2, enabling Parliament to consider the ambitious reforms in direct tax regime.

“The Committee will meet again on February 24 and finalise the report on the DTC Bill by March 2,” sources said.

Some members, they said, “wanted the IT exemption limit to be increased to Rs 5 lakh per annum in view of inflation and erosion in purchasing power of rupee.”

The government is hoping for approval of the DTC Bill by Parliament in the next fiscal. Pending Parliamentary nod, the government may include some of its provisions of the Bill in the budget to be presented on March 16.

The Committee, in its draft report, has suggested that the income tax exemption threshold be enhanced to Rs 3 lakh per annum from Rs 1.8 lakh at present. The Bill proposes the limit of Rs 2 lakh and also provides for revising the tax slabs for all the three categories.

Currently, income of Rs 1.80-5 lakh attracts 10 per cent tax, Rs 5-8 lakh 20 per cent and above Rs 8 lakh, 30 per cent.

It had also proposed retaining the corporate tax rate at the existing 30 per cent.

The DTC, which will replace the Income Tax Act, 1961, was referred to the Standing Committee for scrutiny after introduction in Lok Sabha on August 2, 2010.