Govt determined to make income tax system seamless: Anurag Thakur

The government is determined to successfully implement an income tax system that is "seamless, painless and faceless", Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur said on Thursday.

He made the comments while responding to a tweet by former Union minister and Congress leader Milind Deora that if implemented well, the faceless assessment and appeal will make India a more business friendly nation.

In a major overhaul of tax administration, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday unveiled faceless tax assessment and appeals to reduce the scope for corruption and overreach by officials.

"Dear Milind, I assure you, we are determined to successfully implement the vision laid out by PM @narendramodi of a "SEAMLESS", "PAINLESS" and "FACELESS" @IncomeTaxIndia system. I look forward to your feedback!," Thakur said in a tweet.

Replying to the minister, Deora said, "Good to hear that, Anurag. It's been well received by Chartered Accountants & industry, especially MSMEs. Less tax litigation & harassment is good for business productivity, growth & jobs".

Launching the 'Transparent Taxation - Honouring The Honest Platform' through video conferencing, Modi also introduced taxpayers' charter that aims to provide fair, courteous, and reasonable treatment to honest taxpayers.

The taxpayers' charter and faceless assessment are the next phases of direct tax reforms aimed at easing compliance and rewarding honest taxpayers as the government looks to rebuild the pandemic-hit economy.

"Like in 1991, sometimes it takes a crisis to trigger bold reforms. If implemented well, @IncomeTaxIndia's Faceless Assessment & Faceless Appeal scheme will eliminate harassment, increase tax compliance & make India a more business friendly country," Deora tweeted soon after the prime minister launched the platform.