As Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme Draws to Close, Tax Officers Face the Heat

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As Vivad Se Vishwas scheme draws to close, tax officers face the heat Vivad Se Vishwas scheme allows the waiver of interest, penalty, and prosecution for settling tax disputes due up to January 31, 2020

With three weeks to go before the Vivad Se Vishwas direct tax dispute resolution scheme window closes, Finance Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey and the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman P C Mody pulled up tax officers for the dismal declarations, in a meeting held last week. It was argued that the declarations were ‘not even 10 per cent’ of the potential level, while the final payments made after the declarations remained ‘dismal.’ Besides, officers were urged to reach out to central public sector enterprises (CPSEs) to settle disputes under the scheme.

“Tax officers were told that those displaying subpar performance would be held accountable since the scheme was being monitored

by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. They were asked to hold webinars and keep the lines of communication open with the assesses where eligible appeals were pending, and persuade them to come under the scheme,” said a government official.

Vivad Se Vishwas scheme was announced in the Union Budget presented on February 1. It allows the waiver of interest, penalty, and prosecution for settling tax disputes due up to January 31, 2020. While the declarations under the scheme have to be filed by December 31, 2020, the government had in October extended the deadline for making payment by three months till March 31, 2021, in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic…