I-T assessees receive quick attention under faceless assessment system: FM

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman addresses the audience during the ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ and foundation stone laying ceremony of residential complex ‘Hongirana’ for the Income Tax officers and staffers, in Bengaluru, Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024. | Photo Credit: PTI

The I-T Department’s faceless tax assessment system, aimed at improving the ease of doing business, had reduced the discretion of officers, made grievance redressal quicker and overall improved the perception about the department among taxpayers, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman asserted on Wednesday.

“With this system, the taxpayers have found great relief and the redressal of grievances has gotten faster,” Ms. Sitharaman said in her keynote address at a foundation stone laying ceremony of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) residential quarters in Bengaluru. “The faceless assessment platform was also brought in so that the discretion of an officer does not impact taxpayers,” she added.

‘’Despite some teething troubles initially, the system today is well settled and working now,’‘ she further said.

The platform was aimed at promoting transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the assessment process while reducing corruption and therefore taxpayer grievances, the Minister observed.

Observing that the Central Processing Centre of the faceless tax assessment platform for the entire country was located in Bengaluru, Ms. Sitharaman said the tax payers of Bengaluru, both individual and corporates, had contributed significantly to revenue buoyancy.

“Your contribution is relentless. There has never been a dip. So thank you very much Bengaluru for keeping that momentum up”, she said.