I-T dept makes public list of defaulters owing Rs 448 crore

The Income Tax department on Saturday released a list of 29 entities owing Rs 448.02 crore in taxes as part of its strategy to name and shame large defaulters.

In advertisements issued in leading national dailies, the department brought out the list of defaulters of income tax and corporate tax even as it advised them to pay their "tax arrears immediately".

The department has carried out this exercise earlier too and had named at least 67 such entities which have huge tax liabilities on them but have either gone non-traceable or have shown no assets for recovery.

A senior official said the public list, with details of the individual or entity like their PAN card number, last known address and assessment range and defaulted amount of tax, is also aimed to make aware the people at large so that they inform the department in case of information against them.

"The entries in the list are specific to the tax arrears and assessment year mentioned. The tax defaulter's address, business, shareholding and management may have changed," the notice said.

The total taxes due by these 29 defaulters is Rs 448.02 crore, the official said.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes, the policy-making body of the I-T department, had a few years back adopted the strategy of bringing out the names of chronic defaulters in public domain and had also begun posting these names on its official website.