Ashok Chavan requests Sitharaman to extend dateline for filing tax returns

Former chief minister Ashok Chavan on Monday wrote to Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, requesting to extend the deadline by a period of three months for filing Income Tax and GST Returns in the wake of floods in the state.

In the letter, Chavan wrote, "We are presenting before your good selves the difficulties and hardship faced by the trade, consultants and companies at large due to the heavy rains and flooding position in entire Southern Maharashtra, Konkan and North Maharashtra."

"The charted accountants are not in a position to complete audits under Income Tax and GST Acts, and meet the specified timelines for furnishing the various monthly and annual returns, which are falling due in the months of July and August 2019 as normal life is severely affected due to nature's fury," the letter said.

The letter further states, "In this hour of severity, charted accountants are unable to reach out to their clients for the purpose of Audit and it would be inhumane and unjust to force assesses until their livelihood returns to normalcy."

"We seek your early intervention to extend the due date for audit under Income tax and GST Acts as well as the dates for filing various monthly returns falling in the months of August and September 2019," the letter said.

"We appeal you to extend the due dates for completion of audits and filing of returns by a further period of three months," the letter added.