More than 12.77 lakh taxpayers filed e-returns in Maharashtra

Maharashtra has once again surpassed other states in the number of income tax (I-T) returns filed electronically.

Maharashtra has once again surpassed other states in the number of income tax (I-T) returns filed electronically.

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By July 31 — the deadline to file returns for the salaried class and unaudited business persons — more than 12.77 lakh taxpayers in the state filed e-returns, which translates to 23.7% of the e-returns filed in the country. Across the country, more than 53.84 lakh people filed returns online, a growth of 138% over the corresponding period last year.

Maharashtra was followed by Karnataka, where close to 5.8 lakh people filed e-returns. Gujarat, which was second last year, slipped to third position with nearly 5.56 lakh e-returns. Delhi, which was third last year, stepped down to the fourth place this year with 4.96 lakh e-returns.

The salaried class has the choice to file returns either electronically or by paper. This segment has shown tremendous inclination to file their returns electronically. This year, more than 25.63 lakh salaried people from across the country filed their returns online while last year this figure stood at 10.92 lakh; a growth of 134%.

Filing returns electronically is mandatory for corporates and firms or business groups whose income is more than Rs40 lakh per annum. I-T officials said the number of e-returns are rising sharply inspite of a rule that came into effect this year, which exempts those having an income of up to Rs5 lakh from filing returns unless they have refund claims or have income apart from their salary.