Taxman's Data War
As tech helps tax authorities check evasion and fraud, taxpayers complain of harassment and misuse of powers
Illustration by Nilanjan Das
Last year, a businessman from Rajkot, Gujarat, declared an income of less than Rs 5 lakh in his tax return. However, information collated by the Income Tax (I-T) Department showed he had deposited Rs 10 crore - and withdrawn Rs 7.5 crore - in cash during the year. The department sent him six notices, a dozen SMS alerts and tried every means to contact him. He remained elusive, forcing it to raid the business premises mentioned in the I-T return. It was a wrong address. I-T officials took the home address from his bank, but he was missing from there. It is now in the process of attaching his bank account and other assets.