Draconian Taxation laws (Amendment) Act – What the law makers said
Though the Bill did not attract the kind of attention that a fall in stock market does, it will be interesting to know that our parliamentarians are quite well informed about our taxes and taxmen. Of course in his usual cool style, the FM was able to breeze past both the houses. A member suggested that officers should be friendly- after all assessees are customers, but he said the general attitude was to scare the assessee. He mentioned an example where the first adjudication demands an amount of Rs. 1 Lakh but after several levels of appeals it comes down to Rs. 5000/-. He asks whether the original officer did not know that the demand should have been only for Rs. 5000/-? It was doubted whether the amendments are to simplify or confuse. A member said that it appears that the laws are made to help the tax consultants, and, not the assessees.
The FM paid a left handed compliment to the assessees when he said that assessee is one step ahead of the Government. He also clarified thatProvisional attachment does not mean that possession will be taken, unless there is an attempt to fraudulently alienate the property or dissipate the property or allow the property to deteriorate. If such conditions don't apply, then, provisional attachment will simply be a provisional attachment under which the person holding the property is prohibited from alienating or dissipating the property.Regarding publication of names, the FM said, If somebody is a chronic defaulter, then, clearly, his name should be known to everyone.
Today we bring you excerpts from the debates in Parliament on the Bill. Please see Breaking News