January 3, 2024: The income tax (I-T) department has recorded a surge in filing of income-tax returns (ITRs). This has resulted in a new record of 8.18 crore ITRs being filed for the assessment year (AY) 2023-2024 filed up to December 31, 2023, as against 7.51 crore ITRs filed up to December 31, 2022. This is 9% more than the total ITRs filed for AY 2022-23.
The total number of audit reports and other forms filed during the period is 1.60 crore, as against 1.43 crore audit reports and forms filed in the corresponding period of the preceding year.
“It is also observed that a large number of taxpayers did their due diligence by comparing data of their financial transactions by viewing their annual information statement (AIS) and taxpayer information summary (TIS). A substantial portion of the data for all ITRs was prefilled with data pertaining to salary, interest, dividend, personal information, tax payment including TDS related information, brought forward losses, MAT credit, etc to further ease compliance by taxpayers. The facility was used extensively, resulting in smoother and faster filing of ITRs,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
During FY24, digital e-pay tax payment platform TIN 2.0 was made fully functional on the e-filing portal, replacing the OLTAS payment system. This enabled user-friendly options for e-payment of taxes such as Internet Banking, NEFT/RTGS, OTC, Debit Card, payment gateway and UPI. TIN 2.0 platform has enabled real time credit of taxes to taxpayers which made ITR filing easier and faster, the statement added.
To encourage taxpayers to file their ITRs and forms early, over 103.5 crore outreaches were made through targeted e-mail, SMS and other creative campaigns. Such concerted efforts led to fruitful results with 9% more ITRs being filed for AY2024 till December 31. The e-filing helpdesk team handled approximately 27.37 lakh queries from taxpayers during the year up to December 31, supporting the taxpayers proactively during the peak filing periods. Support from the help desk was provided to taxpayers through inbound calls, outbound calls, live chats, WebEx and co-browsing sessions. The Helpdesk team also supported resolution of queries received on the X(Twitter) handle of the Department through Online Response Management (ORM), by proactively reaching out to the taxpayers/ stakeholders and assisting them for different issues on a near real-time basis.
“The department further requests taxpayers to verify their unverified ITRs, if any, within 30 days of filing the ITR to avoid any consequences,” the ministry said.
| Got any questions or point of view on our article? We would love to hear from you. Write to our Editor-in-Chief Jhumur Ghosh at [email protected] |
An alumna of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal, Sunita Mishra brings over 16 years of expertise to the fields of legal matters, financial insights, and property market trends. Recognised for her ability to elucidate complex topics, her articles serve as a go-to resource for home buyers navigating intricate subjects. Through her extensive career, she has been associated with esteemed organisations like the Financial Express, Hindustan Times, Network18, All India Radio, and Business Standard.
In addition to her professional accomplishments, Sunita holds an MA degree in Sanskrit, with a specialisation in Indian Philosophy, from Delhi University. Outside of her work schedule, she likes to unwind by practising Yoga, and pursues her passion for travel.
[email protected]
Related Posts
ITR filing for FY2022-23: Common mistakes taxpayers should avoid.
Claiming exemption from capital gains tax with no taxable income? You still have to file your ITR.
Form 26AS: How to view and download it on the TRACES portal?.
Income Tax Department notifies ITR forms for AY 2023-24.
How to check income tax refund status after filing ITR?.
Over 88% verified ITRs processed till September 5: Income tax dept.
