Check your tax office jurisdiction before filing returns

New Delhi: Check details about your new tax assessment range if you are going to file Income Tax returns, apply for refunds or conduct any I-T related business in future. A huge cadre restructuring in the I-T department, with the creation of over 20,700 posts recently, has brought about a number of changes in the existing jurisdictions of assessing officers (AOs) of the department across the country. "A huge cadre restructuring has been affected in the Income Tax department across the country recently. With new posts and charges in place, a number of taxpayers will find that their AOs and assessment jurisdictions have changed. But  there is nothing to panic," a senior officer in the department  said.        

Taxpayers, the officer added, should check their new jurisdictions by undertaking a simple search on the designated I-T online portal which shows an individuals' or taxpayers' AO by punching PAN card details. One can log on to www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in and  click the link 'know your jurisdictional AO' to check under what assessment range their I-T cases would be assessed in the  future.

The department's Systems wing has already punched and put in place unique details of every Permanent Account Number (PAN).  "Not everyone's AO would have changed under the new  exercise but it is recommended that the taxpayers undertake this simple step of checking their AO by using their PAN card details. In case of online filing of I-T returns, the system will automatically find the AO of the filer," the officer said.  The officer added that the "aim of the restructuring is to check the skewed distribution of posts in the department  and to ensure identical hierarchal structure so that the department can effectively tackle taxpayers grievances and   issues and ensure better tax collection."        

The government had approved the ambitious cadre restructuring of the department in May, 2013 and had created  20,751 posts, in various ranks, in the department.