Sitharaman says honest taxpayers should be recognised

New Delhi: Union Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday said honest taxpayers deserve to be recognised for dutifully paying their due share of taxes and appreciated the Income Tax Department for the successful implementation of various reforms.

In her message to the I-T Department on the 161st anniversary of Income Tax Day, she complimented the department for continuing to work towards simplifying its procedures and processes, and making its functioning hassle-free, fair and transparent.

"The minister observed that the honest taxpayers deserve to be recognised for the contribution they are making to the progress of the nation by dutifully paying their due share of taxes... She also lauded taxpayers for discharging their compliance obligations despite the difficulties caused by the pandemic," an official statement said.

Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary observed that most of the processes and compliance requirements have been shifted to online platforms and the need for taxpayers to physically visit tax offices has been eliminated or minimised.

He highlighted the fact that the interaction with taxpayers is now characterised by a spirit of trust and respect, relying more on voluntary compliance.

Revenue Secretary Tarun Bajaj also complimented the department for having done well in adapting itself to the emergent changes in the economy and having been able to achieve healthy growth in tax collections.

He also appreciated the initiatives undertaken by the department to reorient its approach towards revenue collection, making its functioning trust-based and taxpayer-centric.