The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has directed tax officials assessing taxpayers as part of Operation clean money to ensure swift communication and that there should not be any kind of threat, warning or show cause notice to online assesses.
” It should be ensured that the communications made online with the persons under verification should be in very polite language without containing any element of threat or warning. No show cause of any kind should be given,” said an eight-page instruction leaflet issued by CBDT.
However, the tax department has empowered the assessing officers to clearly state whether the data submitted by those under the lens is “acceptable” or “non-acceptable”.
Any bank account even with low deposits won’t be exempted from probe if it is suspected to have been “misused” for money laundering or shell company operations.
The officials can also undertake survey operations and even check CCTV footage from banks in case of suspected back-dating or fictitious cash transactions. Under its operation Clean Money, the Income Tax department has sent email and messages to 18 lakh taxpayers whose cash deposits exceed Rs 5 lakh and in case of suspicious deposits between Rs3 lakh and Rs5 lakh.
