Page 18 - NIS English Jul 16-31 2024

Cover Story

Faceless Assessment

n Faceless Assessment Scheme (FS) was launched
in August 2020 by PM Modi, an ambitious faceless
system was launched under 'Transparent Taxation-
honoring the honest'.
n The Faceless Assessment Scheme provides
efficiency, transparency, and accountability in the
assessment process by eliminating the interface
between the assessing officer and the taxpayer.
n For the first time in the world, faceless assessment
and faceless appeal process started using
technology.
related to tax. Be it scrutiny, notice, survey, or seizure, n Faceless assessment and appeal processes
the income tax department and income tax officer of the have been put in place to promote trust and
same city used to play the main role in it. Now this role
has ended in a way, now it has been replaced with the transparency between taxpayers and the
help of technology. department.
Now the scrutiny cases are randomly allocated to any n Several steps have been taken to ensure adherence
officer in any area of the country. This system eliminates to the principles of natural justice in faceless
the risk of identification, influence and pressure between assessment and appeal proceedings.
the taxpayer and the income tax office as tax assessment n SOPs, provision of video conferencing, guidelines, have
as well as appeals are now faceless. Updated returns been issued and technical glitches have been removed.
have been introduced with the objective of building trust
with taxpayers, increasing voluntary compliance and n A total of 6.76 lakh faceless assessments have been
reducing litigation. This initiative provides the facility completed till 31 March 2024, including 2.74 lakh faceless
to the taxpayer to update his return anytime within two assessments made in the financial year 2023-24.
years from the end of the assessment year in which the n A total of 2.57 lakh faceless appeals have been
additional tax and interest is paid. In case the taxpayer completed till 31 March 2024, including 77 thousand
wishes to rectify any mistake or omission while filing faceless appeals completed in the financial year
the ITR, he can file an updated ITR. So far, about 72 lakh 2023-24.
updated returns have been filed involving a total additional n
tax of about Rs 7,655 crore. Along with this, showing its Local officers will no longer do assessments. The
trust in the taxpayers and to increase the convenience Income Tax Officer of the city where you are filing
of small taxpayers, for the first time the government the return will not look into your case.
has taken the initiative to abolish the petty demands of n Through a centralized computerized process, the
previous years. CBDT has abolished the petty demands
up to Rs 25,000 for the financial year 2009-10 and earlier
years and the demands up to Rs 10,000 for the financial
years 2010-11 to 2014-15. Due to this, demands worth
more than Rs 1 crore 12 lakhs have been eliminated,
which has benefited more than 77.39 lakh taxpayers

The Taxpayers' Charter
The Taxpayers' Charter is also a big step in the country's
development journey. For the first time in the history
of India, the rights and duties of taxpayers have been
codified and recognized. India has now joined the

16 New India Samachar July 16-31, 2024