Faceless assessment, taxpayers' charter, faceless appeal service: Here is what Income Tax filers must know

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on August 13 launched the platform for “Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest” that rolled out a faceless assessment, appeal and rights' charter for taxpayers.

While faceless assessment and taxpayers' charter are being implemented from August 13, faceless appeal service will be available from September 25. The new platform apart from being faceless is also aimed at boosting the confidence of the taxpayer and making him/her fearless.

Know all about Faceless assessment, taxpayers' charter and faceless appeal service.

Faceless scrutiny assessment 

The faceless scrutiny assessment has been devised for greater transparency, greater efficiency and accountability. The scheme aims to eliminate interface between taxpayer and tax officers. Taxpayers will not have to come to Income Tax office personally. Sitting at home, they can file submission and tax officials will analyse it with a randomised system using data analytics and artificial intelligence. In the earlier system, a person filing Income-Tax was supposed to go to official in the same territorial jurisdiction of the taxpayer. But now, the algorithm decides where it would go for assessment which brings anonymity.

Taxpayers’ Charter

With the objective of enhancing the efficiency of the delivery system of the Income Tax Department, the government has amended the provisions of the Income-tax Act to mandate the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to adopt a Taxpayers’ Charter. The charter takes care of maintaining the dignity and sensitivity of the taxpayer and that is based on a trust factor and that the assessee cannot be merely doubted without a basis.

Faceless appeal 

In order to eliminate human interface, the Faceless appeal on the lines of Faceless assessment will be followed. This is aimed at imparting greater efficiency, transparency and accountability to the assessment process.