Noida: Income tax department starts helpline to check impostors

The helpline will make it easier to identify any impostor impersonating an income tax official

The Income tax (I-T) department has started a helpline for persons who have been issued a notice to disclose their unaccounted income. Officials said the helpline will make it easier to identify any impostor impersonating an income tax official.

Representatives of the Noida Entrepreneurs’ Assoication met T Tonsing Prasad, principal commissioner of Income Tax, Noida.

The I-T department can be reached at 0120-2412865 from 10am to 6pm by those who have been issued a notice, for seeking clarifications or to confirm the genuineness of the notice. Those issued notices can also send an e-mail to noida.pcit@incometax.gov.in.

The principal commissioner of I-T, Noida, T Tonsing Prasad, said that the service will help resolve any doubts about the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana and also crack down on impostors posing as I-T officials.

After the demonetisation of higher value currency notes in November 2016, the government gave an opportunity to citizens to disclose their unaccounted money. However, many traders and industrialists complained that they have received calls from persons impersonating as I-T department officials.

A delegation of the Noida Entrepreneurs’ Association, led by its president Vipin Malhan, met the principal commissioner of I-T department in Noida on Wednesday to apprise her of similar calls that many industrialists in Noida received.

He said that many industrialists have been harassed by impostors who call from these telephone numbers, who tell them that the I-T department is conducting a raid on their premises.

Malhan urged Prasad to get the issue looked into and sought strict action against such impostors.

Prasad said that no official of the I-T department is making a call to any assessee. She said that anyone getting such a call must report the matter on the helpline number so that it can be investigated.