Income Tax Department Cracks Down on Unfiled Returns: 1.52 Crore Individuals Targeted

Large Discrepancy Between Taxpayers and Filed Returns

The Income Tax Department is launching a campaign to target individuals who haven’t filed their income tax returns (ITR) despite meeting filing requirements. According to a report in the Economic Times, the department has identified 1.52 crore such individuals.

Data Discrepancies Trigger Action

This initiative stems from a data analysis by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) which revealed a significant gap between the total number of taxpayers (8.9 crore in financial year 2022-23) and the number of ITRs filed (7.4 crore, including revised returns). This suggests that potentially 1.97 crore individuals might not have filed their returns even though tax was deducted at source (TDS) from their income.

Focus on High-Value Transactions

The I-T Department is particularly interested in individuals with high bank transactions linked to their PAN cards. Officials will be contacting these individuals to explain the importance of filing ITRs. Additionally, the CBDT has identified nearly 9,000 potential taxpayers who might have made high-value purchases or cash deposits and will be sending them tax notices.

Consequences for Non-Compliance

Individuals who deliberately neglected to file returns will face penalties. However, those with genuine reasons for the sudden increase in income can submit an explanation or file a return to rectify the situation.

Data Analytics Boosts Tax Collection

The Income Tax Department’s access to a vast amount of data has proven instrumental in identifying non-filers and uncovering inconsistencies. This focus on data analysis is credited with contributing to a significant rise (19.88%) in net direct tax collection, exceeding ₹18.90 lakh crore as of March 17th.