Saturday, August 17, 2013

You can still file your I-T returns

You can still file your I-T returns


Only those who have paid all taxes and do not have any refund claim can file their I-T returns by 31 March 2014

The Income Tax (I-T) department has urged all those taxpayers who have not filed their I-Tax returns, even by the extended deadline of 5 August 2013, to file their returns at the earliest to keep away unavoidable difficulties. However, the option to file one's I-T return before 31 March 2014 is available only for those who had paid all their taxes and there are no refund claims.
 
According to a release issued by Press Information Bureau (PIB), if the returns are not filed by 31 March 2014, there will be a penalty of Rs5,000 levied on the taxpayer. Those with tax dues will have to pay late payment fee leviable for every month of delay since April 2013, the release said.
 
While I-Tax department gives taxpayers certain grace period to file their returns, there are certain disadvantages associated with late filing of I-T returns. Those who file their returns late, cannot modify their returns if there are any mistakes. They also cannot carry forward any short term and long-term losses. 
 
All those with total income of Rs5 lakh and above and all those having foreign assets have to mandatorily file their IT returns online. Those with total income less than Rs5 lakh can file their returns off-line. So far, more than 1.23 crore taxpayers filed their returns online this year.
 
According to the release, a person defaulting in filing returns of income could be liable for prosecution under Section 276CC of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Conviction may result in rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than six months but which may extend to seven years and a fine, if the tax liability which has been evaded exceeds Rs25 lakhs.
 
Recently, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate in New Delhi sentenced a taxpayer to six months imprisonment in one assessment year and one year imprisonment in subsequent assessment year for repeating the offence of not filing return of income.  Source -mlf

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