I-T dept to celebrate Aaykar Diwas on Wednesday

The income tax department will celebrate Aaykar Diwas on Wednesday, in the run-up to which the department's field offices organised a grievance redressal fortnight to help taxpayers, the finance ministry said in a statement.

The department will also launch a 'Kardaata e-Sahyog Abhiyaan' which will endeavour to assist and support taxpayers and other stakeholders in enabling them to e-file their returns and discharge other tax-related obligations.

Income tax was introduced for the first time in India on July 24, 1860, by James Wilson to compensate for the losses incurred by the British regime during the first war of independence against British Rule.

While field offices will organise functions at local levels to celebrate Aaykar Diwas 2019, the main function at the national level will be held at New Delhi on July 24, 2019.

The function will be presided over by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, while Minister of State for Finance Anurag Singh Thakur and other senior officials of the ministry would attend the event. The event will include release of departmental publications, e-journal, publicity kit for outreach programmes among other things, the ministry added.

The week preceding the Aaykar Diwas 2019 has been marked by various activities undertaken by the regional offices of the department across the country.

Several field offices undertook a grievance redressal week or fortnight to help redress pending grievances of the taxpayers.

Digital kiosk having interactive and informative digital display was also set up in certain stations to improve taxpayer services.