I-T dept to accept attachments

AHMEDABAD: In a last-minute respite to business houses, partnership firms and small-time investors filing I-T returns, the Gujarat High Court on Monday directed the income-tax department, Gujarat, to accept relevant annexure, notes or attachments provided by tax payers.

“Though the court said that it has no jurisdiction to extend the date for filing returns, the court has asked the I-T department in Gujarat to accept forms with annexure, attachment or notes that can be put up in the case of ambiguity,” says tax consultant Mukesh Patel.

The court was pronouncing the order on a PIL filed jointly by All Gujarat Federation of Tax Consultants and several other associations challenging the present format of the ‘Saral’ form.

The petition claimed that the form was ambiguous and unrea-sonable. Earlier, the court had issued a notice to the Central government and had asked the Income Tax department to submit details of returns filed in Gujarat category-wise.

However, officials only gave the total number of returns filed. Of the total 25 lakh tax payers in Gujarat, only 6,77,030 tax payers filed their returns. “Out of this 90% were filed by the salaried class for whom the form was not very difficult. However for business community, partner-ship firms the form is very difficult if not possible,” says Mr Patel.