CBDT launches documentation identification number

The Documentation Identification Number (DIN) system of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has come into existence from Tuesday with the generation of about 17,500 communications with DIN on the very first day, the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

In a press release, the Finance Ministry said: "This path-breaking DIN system has been created as per the direction of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and from now onwards, every CBDT communication will have to have a documentation identification number."

Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey said: "From today, any communication from Income Tax Department without a computer-generated DIN, be it a notice, letter, order and summon or any other correspondence, would be treated as invalid and shall be non est in law or deemed to be as if it has never been issued."

"The DIN system would ensure greater accountability and transparency in tax administration," he said.

"Now from today onwards, all such communications with DIN would be verifiable on the e-filing portal and no communication would be issued manually without DIN except only if it is in the specified exceptional circumstances," said Pandey.

CBDT has specified that any communication issued manually under exceptional circumstances would have to be uploaded and regularised on the system portal within 15 days of its issuance, said the statement.