New Delhi, Dec 16 (SocialNews.XYZ) With only 15 days to go before Sabka Vishwas amnesty scheme closes, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has asked field officers to intensify outreach programmes and contact each eligible litigating taxpayer to avail the one-time benefits.
"Needless to state, it must be emphasized to all potential declarants that the scheme shall not be available after December 31, 2019 and this is the last opportunity for them to take its advantage and finalise their pending cases by paying highly concessional amounts," the department has told senior field officers including Principal Chief Commissioners and Chief Commissioners in a letter.
As per internal estimate, there are about 1.8 lakh taxpayers eligible to participate in the scheme.
The officers have been advised to undertake extensive outreach programmes and publicity using various media including social media.
Seeking to start with a clean slate, the Modi government had announced the Sabka Vishwas Legacy Dispute Resolution Scheme, 2019 in the budget to unlock over Rs 3.75 lakh crore involved in pending cases related to excise duty and service tax.
Official sources said that the response to the scheme has not been as per expectations and remains below the target. There has been pressure on field officers to reach out to all the eligible assessees. It had been earlier found that many taxpayers, especially in the real estate sector, are keen to settle the old cases related to excise and service tax but they do not have money to settle the cases.
"It has been learnt from some of the field formations that major taxpayers, especially in the real estate sector, who are eligible to avail the scheme are not able to do so due to financial crunch," the apex indirect tax body had earlier said in a communication to field officers.
The officers were urged to see how they could be helped to participate in the scheme.
An official source said that a total of about 52,037 applications have been received so far under the scheme involving Rs 27,911 crore. The number of applications admitted is, however, much less.
The scheme offers relief to the extent of 70 per cent of the duty involved if it is Rs 50 lakh or less and 50 per cent if it is more than Rs 50 lakh.
The roll-out of GST which has subsumed the legacy taxes has given an opportunity to the government and also to taxpayers to settle the old cases.
Senior officials in the CBIC hope that the scheme would get momentum in coming days given that there is a general trend of taxpayers availing any scheme closer to the deadline.
"Also, the CBIC has made it clear that the performance of the field formations would be adjudged in terms of their outreach and ability to persuade the taxpayers to avail the scheme," said an official source.
Source: IANS
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