VTA welcomes “Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest”

Sharwan Kumar Malu, President and Tejinder Singh Renu, secretary of Vidarbha Taxpayers Association (VTA), by a joint press release welcomed the platform for “Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest” launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which VTA believes will strengthen government’s efforts of reforming and simplifying our tax system, thereby benefiting several honest tax payers, whose hardwork powers national progress.

Sharwan Kumar Malu said, we sincerely believe that the taxpayer will now be given the respect they deserve and will now be trusted, not looked at with doubt. Moreover with faceless taxation, the taxpayer and the tax officer will have no interaction, which will potentially reduce interference, and will empower the taxpayer.

Tejinder Singh Renu, appreciated that from 2013 to 2019, the scrutiny of tax returns has reduced from 0.93 per cent to 0.2 per cent, which means that the scrutiny has reduced four-fold in the last five years.

Renu said VTA had earlier too led a long legal battle of citizens charter with the State Government in the past and now welcomes the taxpayer charter which is expected to have statutory status and will empower citizens by ensuring time-bound services by the Income Tax Department. This charter will ensure trust between a taxpayer and the administration and reduce harassment, as well as increase efficiency of the department.

VTA submitted gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for introducing “Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest”. VTA further hopes that our long pending demand of accountability of assessing officers will be there in the taxpayer charter.