CBDT detected over Rs2L crore in undisclosed income in last 10 years

Nagpur: An RTI reply has revealed that crores of income is suppressed by individuals across the nation to evade tax, which apparently leads to massive losses to the exchequer. The information supplied by the Central Board of Direct taxes (CBDT) was based on surveys carried out in the last 10 years by its investigation-III branch.
It said undisclosed income of Rs90,390.33 crore was detected in financial year 2013-14 through 5,327 surveys carried out by the CBDT, which was highest in the last decade. In 2019-20, an amount of Rs22,243.56 crore wasn’t disclosed by taxpayers to the department. Even in Covid-19 pandemic last year, the CBDT carried out 367 surveys where evasion of Rs4,824.52 crore tax was detected.
As per the information obtained by RTI activist Sangita Thul, the number of surveys also increased every year. In 2011-12, about Rs6,572.75 crore was detected through 3,706 surveys. The number of surveys increased to 15,401 in 2018-19, where Rs16,125 crore undisclosed income was found.
The reply by CBDT central public relations officer ML Birdi added that only 43 persons were punished for evading tax in the last four years. According to Thul, the figure is very nominal, considering the fact that thousands of taxpayers adopt all unethical practices to evade the tax.
As per CBDT, the data in this regard was being maintained centrally from 2017-18 onwards. In 2017-18, various courts have passed conviction orders against 21 accused for willful attempt to evade tax under Section 276C (1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. In 2018-19, 17 persons were convicted and in 2019-20, just five were punished. Till December last year, not a single conviction was won due to the pandemic situation.
(With inputs from Eshika Bhargava)
* TAX EVASION CONVICTIONS IN 4 YRS
Fiscal ----------------------- Conviction
2017-18 ------------------- 21
2018-19 ------------------- 17
2019-20 ------------------- 5
2020-21 ------------------- 0*
(* Till December 2020)
* Surveys conducted in last 10 yrs & undsiclosed income detected:
Year
Surveys
Income detected (In cr.)
2011-12
3706
₹6572.75
2012-13
4630
₹19,337.46
2013-14
5327
₹90,390.33
2014-15
5035
₹ 12,820.33
2015-16
4428
₹9,699.85
2016-17
12520
₹13,689.76
2017-18
13547
₹6,938.21
2018-19
15401
₹16,125.58
2019-20
12720
₹22,243.56
2020-21
367
₹4,824.52