I-T dept offices to open on all Saturdays in March after FM's rap

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rapped the policy-making boards of the I-T department (CBDT) and that for the Customs and GST department (CBIC) during an event in Bengaluru for allegedly not responding to the grievances of assessees.

New Delhi: Offices of the income tax department across the country will remain open on all Saturdays this month after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman directed them to do so in order to resolve taxpayers' issues and grievances, a senior official said on Friday. Sitharaman early this week rapped the policy-making boards of the I-T department (CBDT) and that for the Customs and GST department (CBIC) during an event in Bengaluru for allegedly not responding to the grievances of assessees.

While the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the apex policy-making body for the I-T department, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) is the same authority for the customs, central excise and the goods and service tax department. All offices of the I-T department up to the level of Principal Commissioner of Income Tax will remain open on all Saturdays this month. This will start from tomorrow, March 12, a senior I-T department officer told the media.

All the regional formations of the department have also published their respective email IDs on their official Twitter handles for taxpayers to send suggestions and seek clarifications, the officer said. Currently, Saturdays and Sundays are off days for I-T department employees.

During a budget outreach programme between finance ministry officials, the industry and trade bodies in Bengaluru on March 7, Sitharaman pulled up CBDT and CBIC officials when a participant made certain queries regarding various tax aspects. "I'm very curious to know if the CBIC and CBDT are here? Are you all engaging with your own assessees? The questions which are being asked here are not those questions where I want the secretaries of the Ministry of Finance to sit here and explain. These are for the boards to be with your assessees," Sitharaman said. "I would now tell the CBDT and the CBIC to please keep your Saturdays free, engage with assessees and give them all the clarifications required," she said.

PTI