e-mail ID and telephone number in income tax notices-letters-communications issued to taxpayers – CBDT asks for strict compliance

e-mail ID and telephone number in income tax notices-letters-communications issued to taxpayers – CBDT asks for strict compliance.

F. No. 225/214/2016/ITA.II        .
Government of India
Ministry of Finance
Department of Revenue (CBDT)

North-Block, New Delhi, the 30th of August, 2016

To
All Pr. Chief Commissioners of Income-tax/ Pr.CCIT (International-tax)
All Directors General of lncome-tax/CCIT (Exemptions)

Sir/Madam

Subject: Step to facilitate taxpayers electronic interface with the income-tax department-regd.-

This has reference to CBDT letter in F.No.Dir (Hqrs)/CH(DT)/29/2015/2030 dated 15/12/2015 (copy enclosed) wherein various income-tax authorities including the field formations were directed to mention their e-mail address and office telephone number in all notices/letters/communications which were being issued by them to the taxpayers.

2. As you are aware, this step was taken to facilitate and increase taxpayers electronic interface with the However, several instances have come to the notice of the Board, more specifically in the context of statutory notices under section 143(2) of the IT Act being issued by the Assessing Officers, that these notices do not contain any such details. This has led to a situation where the taxpayers who want to communicate with the Assessing Officer through e-mail or wish to make statutory compliance electronically are unable to do so. Further, non furnishing of official telephone number also causes inconvenience to the taxpayer concerned  in  case  he needs to seek any clarification from the Assessing Officer.

3. Therefore, looking into the difficulties being faced by the taxpayers due to lack of proper compliance with earlier directions of the Board by some income-tax authorities, I am directed to request that all income-tax authorities under your jurisdiction should be suitably instructed and sensitized to invariably mention their official e-mail Ids along with official telephone numbers/fax number in all notices/letters/communications being issued by them to the 

4. The above directions should be followed strictly. The supervisory officers are requested to monitor compliance in this regard by random verification of such notices/letters/communications being issued by the income-tax authorities working under them. Further, in all time-barring scrutiny cases and in cases where notice for any statutory proceeding has been issued during this financial year till now without the necessary communication details of the income-tax authority concerned, such information should be furnished to the concerned taxpayer immediately.

5. I am further directed to state that the suggested mode of communication with the taxpayers in para 3 above, may also be followed by the Commissioner (Appeals) while handling appellate matters.

Enclosure: as above

Yours faithfully,

(Rohit Garg)
DS (ITA.II), CBDT
Tele-fax No. 011-23092152,
email: rohit.garg73@nic.in