Taxpayers to share their email-id, cell phone in I-T returns

Taxpayers filing their I-T returns this year will now have to share their email-id and mobile phone number with the tax department.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the administrative authority of the Income Tax department, has introduced a new column in the I-T returns Forms asking for the tax filers personal email-id and mobile number.
"The new step has been taken in order to communicate directly with the taxpayer with regard to any issues arising after the returns are filed.
"This is a step taken to communicate better with the taxpayer and smoothen the process of ensuring timely refunds," a senior I-T officer said.

Till now, the taxpayers had to mention similar details of their CAs or tax filing helpers in the existing column asking for personal details of the filer.
In case, a taxpayer changes his CA or is not in touch with him, it was found, any communication made by the I-T to the taxpayer used to languish without reaching the desired person.
The department, which is facing issues of pending refunds and ensuring other tax related information to the taxpayer, has designed the new I-T forms so that in case of emergency a tax officer could directly get in touch with the individual tax filer.

The new measures have been implemented both for e-filers and manual filers of I-T returns.