E-Paper
Taxing troubles? Govt to ease pain
In a bid to address taxpayers’ problems in a quick and less-complicated manner, the government is soon going to launch a single-window -- e-nivaran (Online Grievance Monitoring System) -- under which any query relating to tax refunds, permanent account numbers (PANs), change of address, wrong filing of tax return, and appeals, among other things, can be filed.
You may no longer have to shuffle between websites and helpline centres to get your tax-related grievances heard.
In a bid to address taxpayers’ problems in a quick and less-complicated manner, the government is soon going to launch a single-window -- e-nivaran (Online Grievance Monitoring System) -- under which any query relating to tax refunds, permanent account numbers (PANs), change of address, wrong filing of tax return, and appeals, among other things, can be filed.
According to sources, the new platform will be first launched on a pilot basis as a sub-head on the income tax website -- www.incometaxindia.gov.in -- and it will then be the responsibility of the department to route the complaints to the officials concerned to get it resolved as soon as possible in a less convoluted manner.
“The pilot will be to see the response and assess the importance of the single window online grievance monitoring system. Once a complaint is filed under this, the office concerned will be bound to take necessary action against it and report the progress by highlighting the actions taken,” an official familiar with the development said.
At present, a taxpayer has to log on to different websites for queries relating to different offices under the tax department. For instance, PAN-related queries are addressed at two different websites, and helplines maintained by NSDL e-Governance Infrastructure Ltd and UTI Infrastructure Technology and Services Limited (UTIISL). Similarly, tax refund queries are handled by the central processing unit of the tax department in Bengaluru, which can be addressed either by contacting the 24-hour helpline, or in specific cases the taxpayer has to approach the assessing tax officer.
As soon as a complaint or a query is filed, a department-wise unique grievance number will be allotted, and it will be routed to the exact division.
The new platform will be monitored by various stakeholders for better accountability.
The move is expected to help in bring in more transparency, check the actions taken, or direction given on grievances, effective monitoring, and timely disposal of grievances. It will not just ease the taxpayers’ hassles and reduce the paper work, it will also hold officials accountable if they do not act on the complaints and queries.
