New Delhi, July 5 (KNN) Taxpayers filing their income tax returns this year will have to share their valid email IDs and mobile phone numbers with the tax department as the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has introduced a new column in the IT return forms asking for these information.
 
“A valid email ID and mobile number has to be registered/updated on the e-filing website of the Income Tax Department so that direct communication with taxpayer can be possible,” CBDT has said in a statement.
 
Whenever the taxpayer changes the mobile number or email ID in their profile, the process will be repeated to ensure that the particulars provided are correct, it added. 
 
“One mobile number or email ID can be used for a maximum of 10 user accounts as the Primary Contact- Mobile Number and Email ID in e-Filing. This is to ensure that family members and related business concerns (not exceeding 10 separate users) not having personal email or mobile can be covered under a common email or mobile, but in general taxpayers should have their own unique email ID and Mobile registered with the Department,” CBDT said.
 
Till now, taxpayers had to mention similar details of their CAs or tax-filing helpers in the existing column asking for personal details of the filer. In case, a taxpayer changes his CA or is not in touch with him, it was found, any communication made by the I-T to the taxpayer used to languish without reaching the desired person. 
 
The department said that emails and SMSs from the income tax department may be included in the "safe list" or "white list" to prevent the communications from the department from being blocked or rejected or sent to spam folder. The department, which is facing issues of pending refunds, has designed the new I-T forms so that in case of emergency a tax officer could directly get in touch with the individual tax filer. 


The new measures have been implemented both for e-filers and manual filers of I-T returns. (KNN Bureau)