‘I-T Dept prioritises redressing grievances in time’

Time-bound redressal of grievances by income tax payers is monitored at a higher level by the Income Tax Department, said Narottam Mishra, principal commissioner of Income Tax, Mangaluru.

He was speaking at the Income Tax Day programme organised by the Income Tax Department, Mangaluru, on Wednesday.

“The Income Tax Department has been providing maximum services to tax payers in terms of ease of filing and processing. There is a need to change the attitude of citizens on tax compliance. Voluntary tax compliance should increase,” he said.

Assistance

Mishra further said that any tax payer who wants an assistance can visit the Income Tax Department office for free advice.

“The revenue collected through taxes in the country during the last financial year was Rs 11.38 lakh crore. Every year, 50,000 new people are added to the list of income tax payers. About 60% of the assesses are salaried employees. In Mangaluru, there are around three lakh income tax payers and the compliance level is fairly large,” Mishra said.

Elaborating on the history of taxation in India, Mishra said that 159 years of taxation is being observed in India. “The first-ever budget in India was created by James Wilson, the founder of the Standard Chartered Bank, during the British rule and got the approval of the then Governor General on July 24, 1860. James also played a pivotal role in the first Income Tax Act,” he added.

‘Eat moderately’

Speaking as the chief guest, Manipal Academy of Higher Education former vice chancellor Dr B M Hegde said that one must consume food in moderation to stay healthy. One must also be compassionate to other and keep the mind free of negative thoughts.

Dr S Shakir Hussain, commissioner of Income Tax (Appeals); K A Chandrakumar, additional commissioner of Income Tax, Mangaluru; Sourabh Dubey, joint commissioner of Income Tax, Mangaluru, and S Nambirajan, additional commissioner of Income Tax, Mangaluru, were present.