Income tax dept launches portal for online filing of info about tax evasion, benami properties

The income tax department has launched a portal on its e-filing website, where individuals can provide information about benami property holdings and/or submit tax evasion complaints. It is an automated dedicated e-portal to receive and process complaints of tax evasion, foreign undisclosed assets as well as complaints regarding benami properties.

The complaint can be filed through a link on the e-filing website of the income tax department https://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/ under the head "File complaint of tax evasion/undisclosed foreign asset/ benami property".

In a press release issued today, the Finance Ministry said, "The facility allows for filing of complaints by persons who are existing PAN/Aadhaar holders as well as for persons having no PAN /Aadhaar. After an OTP based validation process (mobile and/or email), the complainant can file complaints in respect of violations of the Income-tax Act, 1961, Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Assets and Income) Imposition of Tax Act, 1961 and Prevention of Benami Transactions Act (as amended) in three separate forms designed for the purpose."

An individual can file a complaint either without reward or by becoming informer and claim reward. The portal contains three forms to file the complaint under different heads. Form 1 is for complaints regarding tax evasion, Form 2 is for complaint regarding undisclosed foreign assets and Form 3 is for complaint regarding benami properties transactions.
As per the dedicated link, complainant email ID is mandatory. Further, the mobile number (if it is India number) would be validated through OTP process to proceed further. The information provided by the complainant should not be general and vague.

Upon successful filing of the complaint, the department will allot a unique number to each complaint and the complainant would be able to view the status of the complaint on the tax department's website. This e-portal is yet another initiative of the income tax department to bring about enhanced ease of interaction with the department while strengthening its resolve towards e-governance.

The income tax department has warned that furnishing false information is an offence.