The tax department said on Friday that the number of individuals filing income tax returns has jumped to 2.79 crore this year from 2.23 crore last year, matching with the 56 lakh new tax payer addition stated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The statement by the tax department follows reports of some people doubting the numbers as different figures quoted at different points of time.
PM’s I-Day Comment in Line With CBDT Statement
CBDT said in a statement:
The Prime Minister’s speech (on 15 August) referred to the increase in number of e-filed Personal Income Tax Returns (ITRs) filed from 1 April 2017 to 5 August 2017 over the ITRs filed in corresponding period of earlier years.
It also stated:
The data maintained by the Income Tax Department shows that during 1 April 2017 to 5 August 2017, 2.79 crore e- returns of individual taxpayers were received as against 2.23 crore e-returns received during 1 April 2016 to 5 August 2016. Thus, the additional ITRs received in 2017 works out to be 56 lakh.
In 2015, 2 crore e-returns were received. This meant that 23 lakh additional tax payers filed returns in 2016.
A top finance ministry official said the people are trying to find fault where none lies. He said:
The CBDT had in a press statement on 7 August released the very same numbers and what the Prime Minister said in his Independence Day speech was exactly in line with that.
Regarding the Economic Survey Vol 2 released on 12 August, mentioning of 5.4 lakh new taxpayers, he said on page-22 of the report it is clearly stated that the numbers are for the period 8 November 2016 to March 2017.
This means they are the additions made in tax payers post demonetisation in the previous year.
“No Inconsistency in Govt Data”
On the 33 lakh new taxpayer number given in reply to a question in Rajya Sabha on 1 August, he said that information was dated and not the complete information, which came only after the last date of filing of returns ended on 5 August. The tax department statement said:
There is no inconsistency in the data provided by the Government in the (different) statements... as these are in different contexts and for different time periods.
On Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's 17 May statement, the CBDT said:
The addition of 91 lakh taxpayers to the tax-base referred to the total number of new returns filed during the entire financial year 2016-17 and therefore, it is neither comparable to the data in Prime Minister’s speech nor with the data in Economic Survey (different period and different type of taxpayers).
It added that the number of tax filers is likely to “rise significantly” above the 2.79 crore returns e-filed as “many more taxpayers are still to file their returns”.
#TalkingStalking: Have you ever been stalked? Share your experience with The Quint and inspire others to shatter the silence surrounding stalking. Send your stories to editor@thequint.com or WhatsApp @ +919999008335.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)