Targeted mails to taxpayers over large discrepancies'

The government sent about 4.4 million "targeted" emails to people who had "wide gaps" in the transactions on their accounts and the income they disclosed during last year's tax filing cycle, a senior official has said, the first time the income tax department delivered forewarnings to help people avoid being sent a tax notice.

- Rajeev Jayaswal

NEW DELHI: The email were sent over the tax returns filed during the 2023-24 assessment year (AY), which pertained to people's incomes in the 2022-23 financial year.

"These emails are targeted at large discrepancies and not small ones," Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) chairman Nitin Gupta said.

The email has a simple message pointing out that the taxpayer's income as shown in his or her return is not commensurate with the return income filed with the income tax department, hence the assessee needs to file a revised return, Gupta said. CBDT, an arm of the Union finance ministry, is responsible for administration of direct taxes, including the income tax.

The first deadline to file a return is usually July 31 and people have time to file revised returns till December 31. Those who missed filing their original returns by July 31 could also do so by December 31 by paying a penalty of up to 25,000.