Kota Tax Bar Association made representation for extension of due date for submitting Tax Audit Report and for filing IT Returns
Tax Bar Association, Kota
Hon’ble Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Ji
Union Minister of Finance,
Ministry of Finance,
Govt. of India,
North Block,
NEW DELHI-110001
email id : fmo@nic.in
Respected Madam,
RE : Extension of due date for submitting Tax Audit Report and for filing IT Returns
We appreciate the commitment and efforts of Government to re-orient tax administration to make it pro-tax payer and providing ease of doing business. In the series of tax reforms, the Prime Minister recently announced some reformative measures during the launch of “Transparent Taxation – Honoring the Honest” platform like faceless Assessment, Faceless Appeal Process and Taxpayers’ Charter.
As part of Covid 2019 relief measures various due dates for filing the IT Returns for F.Y. 2019-20 (A.Y.2020-21) stand extended to 30th Nov. 2020 for all types of tax payers and Tax Audit Form from Sept. 30th, 2020 to 31st Oct., 2020.
However, the corona pandemic has immensely affected humans, vaccine are not yet available, the emphasis is on taking extensive precautions such as hygiene protocol, social distancing and so on. This virus is spreading expontially region-wise. The part of the nation is still in lock down and enforcing strict quarantine to control the spread of the havoc of this highly communicable disease. There are restriction of travelling from one place to another place. The chaotic situation for assessee and tax professionals forces us to request for extension of due date for filing of Tax Audit Report and IT Returns, because it is the assessee who would have to get agonized and face the consequences in delay of filing of return.
Though the CBDT has extended the due dates for filing of the IT Returns, but considering the nation vide situation, it is very unlikely that the assessee would be in position to get the accounts audited by 31st October 2020 and file the return by 30th November 2020. We therefore request that CBDT shall also exercise discretionary power vested u/s 119 of the Income Tax Act by extending the due date to 31st March 2021 to ameliorate the difficulties faces by the assessee in this corona period.
We look forward to your compassionate response.
Yours truly,
For: Tax Bar Association, Kota
President
Date: 07.09.2020