Faceless Assessment Scheme 2019 (A New ERA of Assessment Proceedings)
Income Tax Assessments, as the word itself says “the assessment of one’s income tax liability on the basis of information and explanation produced by taxpayer himself i.e. assessee”.
Income Tax is a levy on income earned in the taxable territory which is levied by the government of such territory. India is also not an exception to this and taxes are duly levied on Income earned in India. Although the levy is by the government but it’s calculation and further payment takes place on the basis of self assessment. Thereafter, Income Tax department selects among all such cases some of them for further detailed checking and reconciliation and then the concept of Income Tax assessment comes into picture. However, In certain scenario even if the self assessment didn’t take place, department initiates Income Tax Assessment proceedings on the basis of information and explanation available on record.
Over the years, the Income Tax Department has tried to simplify and make it easier for the taxpayer to comply with the rules and regulations as prescribed under the Income Tax Law. Whether it is related to computation of taxes or filing of return of income or assessment proceedings, Department has tremendously implemented smooth process and procedures to comply with.
Earlier if any PAN got selected for scrutiny assessment or Income Escaping assessment, the taxpayer had to deal with it either through physical appearance i.e. face to face hearings with his jurisdictional Assessing Officer or through electronic submission of records. This process was although established one and convenient at some times even but also had shortcomings of its own like collusion among taxpayer and assessing officer, mandatory presence of taxpayer or his representative, lack of treansperancy, ruckless behavior of assessing officer etc.
Due to these reasons many times face to face assessment was like prone to harassment.
Therefore, there was a big need to streamline the process of assessment.
As a step towards becoming a “Digital Economy” and “Atamnirbhar Bharat”.The Government of India has taken several major reforms and “E-Assessment Scheme 2019” is one of them which changed the entire old process completely.
The “E-Assessment Scheme 2019” launched last year has now been amended to the “Faceless Assessment Scheme 2019”.
As also our Prime Minister said, “The relationship between the taxpayer and the government should be seamless, fearless and the one that cements mutual confidence.
“Faceless E-Assessment Scheme 2019”
Faceless Assessment Scheme 2019 is the way to promote transparency and accountability in the assessment process and empower honest taxpayers.
All the assessment proceedings will be made faceless and the launch of this facility also ends the relevance of geography free assessments on the lines of processing of returns.