Local committees for faster hearing of IT cases: FinMin

After complaints of unfair scrutiny by income tax assessees, the finance ministry has decided to set up local committees through which tax payers can vent their grievances.

These committees are an additional layer below the Income Tax Tribunal, and are meant to hand out speedy justice to tax payers. The committees will be set up in all the principal chief commissioner ranges of the country.

Until now, the disgruntled taxpayers approached the Commissioner of I-T (Appeals), and subsequently appealed to the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, High Court, and to the Supreme Court.

But with the setting up of the committees, taxpayers can get speedy justice and faster solutions to their problems. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) with the task to oversee the setting of such committees that are expected to be in place by mid-December, an official said.

He said tax payers can petition the committee, and it will be publicised in the media by the respective tax regions.

The committee will examine whether there is a prima facie case of high-pitched assessment, non-observance of principles of natural justice, non-application of mind, gross negligence or lack of involvement of assessing officer.

In case the committee finds that a said order has been un-reasonable or high-pitched, it will submit its report to the senior most I-T officer in a given range who will be empowered to take administrative action.