Honest tax­-payers will be treated with dignity and courtesy. Greater accountability and probity in actions taken by Income Tax Officers-CBDT

Honest tax­-payers will be treated with dignity and  courtesy. Greater accountability and probity in actions taken  by  Income Tax Officers-CBDT 

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Finance/Department of Revenue
Central Board of Direct Taxes
North Block, New Delhi-110001
E-mail : chairmancbdt@nic .in
Tele: 23092648 & Telefax :23092544

SUSHIL CHANDRA
Chairman, CBDT &
Special Secretary to the Government of India

DO FTS No. 384553/ 2017                                                                                New Delhi dated 10th February, 2017

Dear Colleagues ,

It is the collective vision of the Income Tax Department to partner in the nation building process through progressive tax policy, efficient and  effective  administration  and  improved voluntary compliance. A tax payer friendly service delivery mechanism provided by a disciplined, motivated and enthused workforce is one  of corner stones  to  achieve  this vision. When  seen  in the back drop of the  overarching agenda  of “Transform, Energise and Clean  India” as  conveyed by the Hon. Finance Minister during his budget speech,  2017,  it  becomes  all  the  more necessary to integrate our vision with the overarching vision of the  Government.

I this regard, I wish to bring to your attention, Hon’ble Finance Minister’s vision for the Income Tax Department   as incorporated in para 180 of his Budget Speech, 2017:

“180 In the Annual Conclave of Tax officers called ‘Rajaswa Gyan Sangam ‘ held in June 2016, the Prime Minister had expressed his desire to bring reforms in tax administration in the form of an approach of RAPID which stands for Revenue, Accountability, Probity, Information and Digitisation. This approach precisely reflects the strategy of Tax Department which is now formulated. While revenue considerations always remain the focus of Revenue Department, we are trying to bring in maximum use of Information Technology to remove human contact with assesses as well as to plug tax avoidance. We will try to maximise our efforts for e-assessment in the coming year. We are also using a lot of data mining capabiltty, both in–house and outsourced. We plan to enforce greater accountability of officers of Tax Department for specific act of commission and omission. I would like to assure everyone that honest, tax-compliant person would be treated with dignity and courtesy. “

I would like all the Officers  and  Officials  of the  Department to  pursue the  path of  RAPID as desired by the Hon. Prime Minister and reiterated by the Hon’ble Finance  Minister.  While pursuing the path of  revenue mobilisation, which is an integral part of our core work, we must always keep in our view , the assurance given by Hon’ble Finance Minister that all honest, tax­ compliant persons will be treated with dignity and  courtesy.  All  the  Principal Chief Commissioners, Chief Commissioners and Principal Commissioners must also ensure greater accountability and probity in all  actions  taken  by  the  Officers  and  Officials  of  the  Department and aberrations  are to   be treated with prompt administrative  response.

I am sure this path will definitely  go  a  long way  in  enhancing the  image  of  the  Income Tax Department  in the eyes of public in general and taxpayers in particular.

I wish you all success  in this  endeavour.

(Sushil Chandra)

All Officers & Officials of   Income Tax Department