INCOME TAX GRIEVANCES TO BE REGISTERED ONLINE

Tax payers will now be able to lodge their grievances with the taxman at the click of a mouse, with the launch of an online complaint redressal mechanism on the lines of the existing e-filing facility of tax returns. The facility will soon be available on the official website of the Income Tax (IT) department, with the completion of the trial run of this maiden initiative in the next few months. "The department will now start to register the grievances of the taxpayer on the official portal also, similar to the online filing of tax returns facility," said a senior IT official involved in developing the new process. The trial run of this facility named 'Sevottam' is already being experimented on a pilot basis in Mumbai and Udaipur, the official said. While registering online complaints, the tax payer will also receive an acknowledgment number which would have a fixed time limit that will ensure that it is redressed within a stipulated duration. As of now, tax payers have to throng the tax department's offices in order to get their complaints resolved. The online facility will aim to create a hassle-free facility for tax payers across the country, the official added. The IT department's online facilities currently feature services like e-payment of taxes, filing of TDS returns, Annual Information Returns, Online Tax Accounting System (OLTAS), Tax Return Prepares Scheme (TRPS), Tax Information Network and helpdesk, as well as tax payers queries and feedback on the department's official portal.