Income Tax Department revised Income Tax Informants Reward Scheme - (01 Jun 2018)

Direct Taxation

In order to encourage people’s participation to unearth black money and reduce tax evasion, a new reward scheme titled “Income Tax Informants Reward Scheme, 2018” has been issued by the Income Tax Department, superseding the earlier reward scheme issued in 2007. Under the revised scheme, a person can get reward up to Rs. 50 lakh for giving specific information in prescribed manner to the designated officers of Investigation Directorates in Income Tax Department about substantial evasion of tax on income or assets in India, actionable under the Income-tax Act, 1961. Identity of the persons giving information will not be disclosed and strict confidentiality shall be maintained.

However, a person cannot claim any reward under the scheme, if he is not an informant under the scheme, even if such person has furnished specific information of income or assets in any other manner, e.g., through letter, e-mail, CD, WhatsApp, SMS, phone, posting in social networking site or publishing letter in newspaper or any other media. In a case where an informant has furnished information pertaining to modus operandi only without any specific information regarding parties involved /assets generated /transactions entered, etc. and pursuant to such information, investigation conducted by Investigation Directorate leads to detection of undisclosed income, the informant will not be eligible for any reward for the information even if the modus operandi is found to be correct.

Government had earlier introduced Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, in order to investigate and assess income and specific assets kept in foreign countries by people taxable in India, recover tax on it and take other actions like penalty and prosecution. With the objective of attracting and encouraging people to give information about such income and assets actionable under Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015, reward up to Rs. 5 crore has been introduced in the new reward scheme. The amount has been kept high to make it attractive to potential sources in foreign countries. Under this Scheme, a person can get reward for giving specific information in prescribed manner about substantial tax evasion on income and assets abroad which are actionable under Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015. Information under the scheme has to be given in prescribed manner to the Director General of Income Tax (Investigation) or an officer whom he may authorize in this behalf. Foreigners will also be eligible for reward under the scheme. The scheme introduced by the government would help in cleansing benami and illegal black money transactions.

Tags : SCHEME REVISION REWARD