NEW DELHI : With filing of IT returns getting easier, as many as 3.41 crore returns, which are 87 per cent of all such cases, were filed electronically in 2014-15, the government said in Parliament today.
The government has constantly endeavoured to make the Income Tax Return (ITR) filing procedure simple and hassle-free with the introduction of electronically filed ITR forms in 2006-07, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha today.
“The process of electronic filing has been made simpler over the years. As a result, during 2014-15, 3.41 crore returns were filed electronically, which constituted 87 per cent of all the returns filed in 2014-15,” he said.
Jaitley said the government has provided free ITR preparation software with the facility of pre-filled tax payment and tax deduction columns in the ITR to avoid data entry and mistakes.
He also said that in the new ITR-2 notified in April this year, the information relating to foreign travel, which has been sought to be captured, is as per the recommendation of Special Investigation Team (SIT) on black money constituted as per the directions of the Supreme Court.
Such information can help develop risk profiles for detection of evasion of tax. These details are not required in ITR-1 or ITR-4S, which is filed by a majority of individual tax payers, he said.
Furthermore, he said government has received representations on the new return forms and is taking into account the concerns raised.
“The government has decided to modify the return forms,” Jaitley said.
In reply to a separate question on recommendations of SIT on tax evasion, Minister of State for Finance Jayant Sinha, in a separate reply, said SIT has suggested to government to seriously examine the issue and take steps to make tax crimes as a predicate offence. (AGENCIES)
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