Returns on Trust - Develop a repository of legal knowledge - FM tells CCs
Addressing the Chief Commissioners and Directors General of Income Tax, the Finance Minister wanted the Chief Commissioners to make the working of the department non-discretionary and non-discriminatory; he wanted the Chief Commissioners to bring down the number of tax payer grievances.
He wanted the department to have a Human Resources Management Directorate with a legal wing to act as repository of legal knowledge and develop in-house talent on advocacy skills, so that the domain knowledge of the officers can be effectively used in Tribunals and Courts.
The FM also said that if cases are won in the courts, retrospective amendments can be avoided.
(This means the assessees are anyway meant to be doomed. If the Department wins in the court, the assessee anyway loses - but if the assessee wins, we have the retrospective route any way!)
He said the Computerisation of the department was on its final leg and is on a scale never tried anywhere in the world.
For the first time in the 35 years, he said that the cumulative tax arrears declined for the year ended 31.3.2007. The FM asked the Chief Commissioners to hold meetings to emphasise the need for correctly quoting PAN in TDS Returns.