The Ministry of Finance has issued a press release dated 8th December 2017 together with an order of the same date issued u/s 119 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (the Act) stating that the due date under section 139AA for taxpayers having Aadhaar Number or Enrolment Number to link the same with Permanent Account Number (PAN) has been extended till 31.03.2018

According to a press report, two IRS Officers, who are accused by the CBI in a FIR of having received bribes of Rs. 5 crore each from a company named Sterling Biotech, have been empaneled as Chief Commissioners of Income-tax. Both officers have been interrogated by the CBI and the investigation is still going on. Citizens have expressed shock as to how such allegedly tainted officials have been appointed to high positions of power and influence

The CBDT has sent a strong message to all unscrupulous AOs that it will no longer tolerate their shenanigans of harassing taxpayers with a view to extort bribes. The usual modus operandi of such AO’s is to conduct roving inquiries and threaten to make huge additions unless the hapless taxpayer agrees to pay a bribe. The CBDT has put an end to this nefarious practice by directing that all cases where a limited scrutiny is converted into a full scrutiny should be backed with an order sheet entry in which reasons are given. The approval of the Pr CIT has also been made a precondition. An officer who defied this directive has been placed under suspension as his action gave rise to a “very strong suspicion of mala fide intentions“