New Delhi, Aug 18 (IANS) Even as the government tries to ease the ‘tax concerns’ of corporates, the bureaucracy still seems to be stuck in its old ways.
Although the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister have recently observed that unnecessary summons and tough actions are not required in cases of minor defaults or regarding “honest” corporates, the Chief Commissioner of Customs and CGST (Visakhapatnam Zone) Naresh Penumaka has said that stern action would be taken if GST returns are not filed.
In a bid to curb unnecessary and unauthorised tax notices and summons, the Central Bureau of Direct Taxes said on Wednesday that it would introduce a computer-generated Document Identification Number (DIN), which will be be quoted in any notice issued by its officials.
In his Independence Day Speech too, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that wealth creators should not be looked upon with suspicion as wealth creation is necessary for the economy.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday called for a mindset change in tax officials while advocating a technology-driven approach.
The issue of “tax terrorism” came into focus with Coffee Day Enterprises founder V.G. Siddhartha’s last letter to the company board saying that he was harassed by a tax official over the Mindtree deal.
–IANS
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