CBDT asks Income Tax to ensure better collection of revenue arrears

CBDT has sought collection of all due recoveries from all regions that will boost tax collection

Concerned over 60 per cent shortfall in cash collection from arrear demands, the CBDT has asked the Income Tax department to pull up its socks and ensure it achieves the target in this regard as the current fiscal is running out fast.

While the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the policy-making body for the I-T department, has fixed a target of Rs 53.98 crore to be collected during the 2016-17 financial year as part of the revenue stuck in arrear demands, only Rs 19.68 crore has been collected till the end of November.

The figure makes it clear that only about 37 per cent of the target, under this head, has been achieved till now.

"The level of performance in this critical result area of the department's work is completely non-acceptable. Three quarters of the financial year are already over and not even 50 per cent of the target has been achieved which itself was fixed at a fraction of the total arrears outstanding," CBDT Chairman Sushil Chandra wrote in a recent communication to all his regional heads.

Chandra asked the top brass of the department on ground to "take all measures for stepping up cash collection out of arrears as well as current demand so that not only the target set in this regard is met but significant contribution is also made towards achievement of the overall budget target of the regions (across the country)".

The CBDT boss has also sought collection of all due recoveries from all the regions that will boost the overall tax collection at the end of the current financial year on March 31 next year.