Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday came down heavily on tax boards for allegedly not responding to taxpayers’ complaints and directed their officials to reserve Saturdays for holding meetings with them.
Muralidhar Krishna Rao, General Manager and Chief Financial Officer, Karnataka Bank, during a budget outreach program between Finance Ministry officials, industry and trade bodies in Bengaluru, clarified on certain provisions of the GST Act and direct tax deductions affecting direct tax deductions Asked a question asking. banking sector.
Even before officials could respond, Ms Sitharaman intervened and pulled up officials of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC).
“I am very curious to know whether CBIC and CBDT are here. Are you all engaging with your own assessee? The questions being asked here are not the questions where I want the Finance Ministry to Let the secretary sit here and explain. These will be with your assessee for the board.”
“I will now ask CBDT and CBIC to please keep your Saturdays free, interact with the assessees and give them all necessary clarifications,” she said.
Ms Sitharaman directed the boards to tell the assessees where the discrepancies were; And, if any policy change was necessary or if something needed to be changed in the Finance Bill, they could suggest it to the Revenue and Finance Secretaries.
According to him, most of the questions asked during the dialogue session on the Budget were related to the two boards, which he was fully empowered to deal with.
“This (question) just tells me and I am sorry to make such comments on the board – are you all sitting in your office and not even reaching your assessee? What is going on? You expect revenue Aren’t the secretary talking to the assessee for those things you have every power in your hand to sit and explain? Am I reading the situation?” Ms Sitharaman said.
Asking the boards to do better, he reiterated that they have to reserve their Saturdays for the assessees.
“You have to be here every Saturday. Keep yourself open and on phone and email too. To answer the many questions here that have bothered Tarun Bajaj (revenue secretary), I want you (CBDT and CBIC) Reply to the assessees individually,” the Finance Minister said.