CBDT announces TDS deadlines extension for Fani-hit Odisha

New Delhi: The Central Board of Direct Taxes on Friday announced due date extension of tax deducted at source (TDS) compliance for deductors in Odisha, owing to the destruction caused in the state by Cyclone Fani, which made landfall near Puri on May 3.

The CBDT has extended the deadline for filing of quarterly statements of TDS for the last quarter of the previous financial year from May 31 to June 31 this year.

In addition, the tax authority also moved the due date for issuing TDS certificates in Forms 16 and 16 A from June 15 to July 15.

The CBDT in a statement said that the extensions are being provided to bring some relief to deductors in Odisha due to the massive infrastructure damage faced by the state and its people during the cyclone.

The spokesperson for CBDT said that the tax authority has exercised its powers under section 119 of the Income Tax Act "with a view to redress genuine hardship faced by deductors due to the severe disruption of normal life and breakdown of communication systems" caused by the cyclone.

Fani had left a trail of destruction in Odisha, killing 64 people and bringing massive damage to transportation, water, and electricity infrastructure in the state.

State government estimates showed that thousands of distribution transformers and thousands of kilometre of electric cables were destroyed.

In total, more than 1.65 crore people in the state were affected by the cyclone with nearly 12 lakh people having been evacuated to safer locations.