*After gap of 6 yrs, deptt opening new offices
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 29: In a remarkable achievement, the Income Tax Department has realized over Rs 522 crore tax in Jammu and Kashmir during first seven months of the current financial year thereby registering an increase of 30.4% over the figures of corresponding period of previous financial year. The sharp rise, which is even much above the national average, is notwithstanding the fact that department has paid whopping Rs 122.90 crore worth refunds during the current year so far.
Revealing this to EXCELSIOR, Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, J&K Circle, Sangeeta Gupta said that during the period between April 1 and October 27, the J&K Circle has made gross collection of Rs 522.70 crore as against Rs 400.85 crore during the corresponding period of previous financial year thereby registering an increase of 30.4%.
As far as net collection is concerned, she said that during first seven months of the current financial year the net collection has been recorded at Rs 399.8 crore as against Rs 323.07 crore during the corresponding period of previous financial year. On this front, the department has recorded increase of 23.75%, which is much more than the national average of 13.11%.
“The sharp increase in tax collection is notwithstanding the fact that the department paid Rs 122.90 crore worth refunds during current financial year so far as compared to Rs 77.78 crore during the same period of previous financial year”, the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax said while disclosing that a total of 53,574 refunds have been cleared by the department within a span of seven months as against only 31031 during previous financial year.
While laying required focus on widening of tax base—one of her top most priorities, the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax got 54300 notices issued during the first seven months of current financial year to those persons, who were not filing Income Tax returns. Of these, around 17,000 notices were issued in Kashmir valley and rest in Jammu division and this step yielded encouraging result as 17105 persons filed returns after the action on the part of the Income Tax sleuths.
No doubt meeting the targets fixed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is top most priority for the Income Tax J&K Circle but at the same time the department is not leaving any stone unturned to provide facilities to the assessees. This can be gauged from the fact that after a long gap of over six years the department is going to open three new offices for the convenience of the assessees.
“We have completed all the formalities for opening of our offices in Katra and Samba in Jammu province and Baramulla in Kashmir valley”, she disclosed, adding “these offices would provide different services to the huge number of assessees at their door steps”.
The office at Katra would be formally inaugurated by the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax on November 3 and on November 5 she would throw open the office at Samba. The office at Baramulla would be opened by the end of next month. It is pertinent to mention here that the Income Tax Department had last opened its office in Anantnag on April 1, 2009.
“In order to lay required focus on Income Tax collection in Kashmir valley, the department has made its office at Srinagar fully functional especially after the devastating floods of September 2014 when the office in summer capital suffered extensive damage”, Principal Commissioner of Income Tax said. Moreover, land has been acquired in Rajbagh area of Srinagar for establishment of permanent office-cum-residential complex and work would be started shortly by National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC).
In response to a question, Sangeeta Gupta said, “the new offices besides providing services to the assessees at their door steps would also help in better monitoring by the department”, adding “the people of J&K must realize that whatever they contribute in the form of Income Tax is returned to the State by the Union Government in the shape of developmental funds”.
Quoting an example, she said, “if J&K is contributing Rs 100 in the Central Pool of Direct Taxes the Union Government is returning Rs 120 for the developmental activities of this State as such people should voluntarily come forward and play their role in the development of their own State”.
What to talk of opening new offices, the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax has also developed a mechanism for timely redressal of the grievances of the assessees. “The grievances cell at Aaykar Bhawan has cleared all the backlog of complaints/grievances during a short span of time and now disposal is being monitored on weekly basis”, she informed, adding “we want to give better services to the assessees and at the same time we expect them to pay tax as per their exact income and become partner to the development of the State”.
JAMMU, Oct 29: In a remarkable achievement, the Income Tax Department has realized over Rs 522 crore tax in Jammu and Kashmir during first seven months of the current financial year thereby registering an increase of 30.4% over the figures of corresponding period of previous financial year. The sharp rise, which is even much above the national average, is notwithstanding the fact that department has paid whopping Rs 122.90 crore worth refunds during the current year so far.
Revealing this to EXCELSIOR, Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, J&K Circle, Sangeeta Gupta said that during the period between April 1 and October 27, the J&K Circle has made gross collection of Rs 522.70 crore as against Rs 400.85 crore during the corresponding period of previous financial year thereby registering an increase of 30.4%.
As far as net collection is concerned, she said that during first seven months of the current financial year the net collection has been recorded at Rs 399.8 crore as against Rs 323.07 crore during the corresponding period of previous financial year. On this front, the department has recorded increase of 23.75%, which is much more than the national average of 13.11%.
“The sharp increase in tax collection is notwithstanding the fact that the department paid Rs 122.90 crore worth refunds during current financial year so far as compared to Rs 77.78 crore during the same period of previous financial year”, the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax said while disclosing that a total of 53,574 refunds have been cleared by the department within a span of seven months as against only 31031 during previous financial year.
While laying required focus on widening of tax base—one of her top most priorities, the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax got 54300 notices issued during the first seven months of current financial year to those persons, who were not filing Income Tax returns. Of these, around 17,000 notices were issued in Kashmir valley and rest in Jammu division and this step yielded encouraging result as 17105 persons filed returns after the action on the part of the Income Tax sleuths.
No doubt meeting the targets fixed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is top most priority for the Income Tax J&K Circle but at the same time the department is not leaving any stone unturned to provide facilities to the assessees. This can be gauged from the fact that after a long gap of over six years the department is going to open three new offices for the convenience of the assessees.
“We have completed all the formalities for opening of our offices in Katra and Samba in Jammu province and Baramulla in Kashmir valley”, she disclosed, adding “these offices would provide different services to the huge number of assessees at their door steps”.
The office at Katra would be formally inaugurated by the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax on November 3 and on November 5 she would throw open the office at Samba. The office at Baramulla would be opened by the end of next month. It is pertinent to mention here that the Income Tax Department had last opened its office in Anantnag on April 1, 2009.
“In order to lay required focus on Income Tax collection in Kashmir valley, the department has made its office at Srinagar fully functional especially after the devastating floods of September 2014 when the office in summer capital suffered extensive damage”, Principal Commissioner of Income Tax said. Moreover, land has been acquired in Rajbagh area of Srinagar for establishment of permanent office-cum-residential complex and work would be started shortly by National Building Construction Corporation (NBCC).
In response to a question, Sangeeta Gupta said, “the new offices besides providing services to the assessees at their door steps would also help in better monitoring by the department”, adding “the people of J&K must realize that whatever they contribute in the form of Income Tax is returned to the State by the Union Government in the shape of developmental funds”.
Quoting an example, she said, “if J&K is contributing Rs 100 in the Central Pool of Direct Taxes the Union Government is returning Rs 120 for the developmental activities of this State as such people should voluntarily come forward and play their role in the development of their own State”.
What to talk of opening new offices, the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax has also developed a mechanism for timely redressal of the grievances of the assessees. “The grievances cell at Aaykar Bhawan has cleared all the backlog of complaints/grievances during a short span of time and now disposal is being monitored on weekly basis”, she informed, adding “we want to give better services to the assessees and at the same time we expect them to pay tax as per their exact income and become partner to the development of the State”.
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