The Income Tax Department has started a pilot project of using e-mails for sending notices, getting replies as well as carrying out tax assessments in an attempt to make sure taxpayers don't have to visit I-T offices physically in smaller cases.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has identified non-corporate charges at five locations and 100 initial cases for e-hearing. "In order to improve taxpayer services, enhance efficiency and usher in a paperless environment for carrying out assessment proceedings, CBDT has decided to initiate the concept of using e-mail for corresponding with tax payers and sending through e-mails the questionnaires, notice... and getting responses from them using the same medium on a pilot basis," a CBDT notice of October 19 said. Five non-corporate charges in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Chennai have been picked up for the pilot. Initially, 100 cases for e-hearing will be identified in each of these charges and the major part of assessment processing will be conducted in an electronic mode.