Indirect tax ombudsmen to address taxpayers' concerns

The Indirect Tax Ombudsmen (ITOM) will address concerns of tax payers through trade and industry associations across the country for early compliance, an official statement said on Friday.

"A decision to hold meetings with trade and industry associations in the respective jurisdiction of the ombudsmen across the country was taken at a meeting of the ITOM with Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) chairman Kaushal Srivastava here for strengthening the watchdog," the statement said.

IT ombudsmen from Allahabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Lucknow and Mumbai regions participated in the meeting.

Taxpayers can approach the IT ombudsmen on deficiency, if any, in the working of customs, central excise and service tax departments in case of non-adherence to working hours and procedural delays in refunds, rebate and drawback.

"The CBEC has taken several initiatives to improve and facilitate trade and business in the 'year of tax payers' services," the statement noted.

The ombudsmen are meant to protect rights of taxpayers and suggest remedial action to redress their grievances.

The IT ombudsmen have been set up under the ITOM guidelines of 2011.