Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 25: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Yudhvir Sethi today asked Income Tax (IT) Department to facilitate the process of tax assessment and collection from shopkeepers and traders post GST implementation and not harass them by raiding their premises.
Yudhvir Sethi was addressing shopkeepers and small vendors of general bus stand, Kanak Mandi, Shalamar Chowk and Shaeedi Chowk on whose premises IT raids were conducted today.
The vendors finding it sheer harassment raised protests against the raids and also called upon BJP general secretary seeking his intervention.
He said ideally no tax officer has been authorized to visit premises of traders and shopkeepers without prior permission, adding even if the officials had permission they must first try to facilitate vendors and educate them about GST regime.
“Even then if anyone is found evading tax then law must take its own course,” he added.
Income Tax Department today had conducted multiple raids in Kanak Mandi, Shalamar Chowk and Shaeedi Chowk following which small vendors alleged harassment. They also alleged that their articles were being taken away but after hue and cry the officials left bazars in a haste.
Presidents of different ‘bazars’ also called upon Yudhvir Sethi and said that no small vendor is indulging into profiteering or subsequent tax evasion as such IT officials should not harass them.
The BJP leader assured them that matter would be taken up with IT officials and a mechanism to educate them about GST will be evolved so that tax is filed and no one harassed.
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