Modi asks tax officials to be friendly towards honest taxpayers
In India, tax officials are usually feared. Maybe it has something to do with the public perception of them. Even if one hasn't done anything wrong, an unfounded fear rises, when they approach. In order to make India a more tax compliant society, it's imperative that this fear is eliminated. The same thought was recently echoed by PM Narendra Modi. Here's more about it.
Be more approachable
Modi was present at the inauguration of the second edition of 'Rajaswa Gyan Sangam' amidst direct and indirect tax officials. He instructed them to be friendlier towards honest taxpayers so that this feeling of discomfort can be eliminated. India recently underwent the biggest tax reform in its history and Modi asked them to ensure that the common man is not bereft of its benefits.
Bridging the gap
This was a closed-door, two-day conference, attended by Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). Modi, over the years, has repeatedly assured taxpayers that he'd eliminate the fear of taxmen by instilling accountability and answerability. Some of the measures taken for that include the easier online filing of returns and claiming of refund, email-based inquiry, and e-scrutiny.
Meanwhile, GST efforts lauded
Meanwhile, FinMin, in his address, thanked the central and state tax officials for their efforts in making GST possible. As per CBEC tweet, he also thanked Modi for his "visionary policies and motivation". The purpose of Rajaswa Gyan Sangam was to start a dialogue between the policymakers and senior tax officials, to increase revenue collection and bring about proper implementation of law and policies.
