Indian Taxpayers to get an unique number for complaints. No, this number is not mandatory

            Indian taxpayers are familiar with PAN (Permanent Accounts Number), TAN (Tax Deduction and Collection Account Number), UTN (Unique Transaction Number). In the near future, they will be familiar with UAN (Unique Acknowledgment Number).

The UAN will be provided to the set of Income Tax Payers, who have a grievance regarding their IT refunds and tax computations, by IT Department, when they lodge a complaint with IT authorities.

            The added bonus is the promise to resolve the complaint within two months time.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes, which frames policies and rules for the I-T Department, has asked all its Chief Commissioners across the country to ensure these new facilities for taxpayers with “immediate effect”.

The CBDT, issued these directions on July 5 after the Delhi High Court recently passed orders with regard to finetuning procedures followed by the Department on receipt and disposal of rectification applications’ which are filed by taxpayers under Section 154 of the I-T Act.

Whether the taxpayer files his rectification application:

• By ordinary post,
• by hand or
• online,

The receipt counter of the department will generate a special and unique acknowledgement number for the taxpayer by which he or she will be assured of solving the grievance within a stipulated time.

The taxpayer has to quote this number in any further communication with the department.

It has also been instructed by CBDT that rectification applications are “decided as far as possible within a period of two months from the end of the month in which application is received.”

The CBDT has also asked the I-T Department to inform the taxpayer as soon as his or her grievance is disposed of.

In cases of e-filing of tax returns that reach the Central Processing Centre of the department in Bangalore same procedures would be followed by them and in case the CPC is unable to do so, it will immediately inform the assessing officer of the taxpayer to take remedial action.

In order to plug all loopholes, the CBDT has also directed the department that all such receipts of rectification applications from taxpayers will have to be mandatorily updated in the online rectification register, which can be inspected by supervisory officers. In case of postal complaints, these should be compulsorily recorded in the official diary maintained by the I-T authority.