Hopeful of achieving 13.35 lakh crore tax collection target, says CBDT Chairman

Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman PC Mody on Thursday expressed hope that the body will able to achieve the target of tax collection given to them at the beginning of this year.

"At the beginning of this year, We were given a target of 13.35 lakh crore, out of which we have already collected six lakh crore. With that, we have also refunded 20 per cent more as compared to last year. I am hopeful that we will reach the set target," he said while speaking to ANI.

Stressing that there is a clear policy of the government to give more and more comfort to the taxpayer, Mody said a new process of assessment has been envisaged -- faceless assessment.

"Under this process, there is provision of your process scrutiny being done in randomised and anonymous manner so that there is no contact between taxpayer and tax officer and whatever are the issues before him is investigated fairly," he said adding that infrastructure for this has already been provided.

"As of now it has just begun. By the end of this week, the responses from taxpayers will be sent to assessment units and after that the process will begun," he said.

Earlier, Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) in a statement said that the Government has decided today to extend the due dates of filing of Form GSTR-9 (Annual Return) and Form GSTR-9C (Reconciliation Statement) for Financial Year 2017-18 to December 31, 2019 and for Financial Year 2018-19 to March 31, 2020.

It stated that the Government has also decided to simplify these forms by making various fields of these forms as optional.