Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday asked tax officials under the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) to “keep (their) Saturday free” to engage with assessees to address their grievances.
“I am curious to know if the CBIC and the CBDT are engaging with own assesses?… If there is something you think that you cannot do because it’s something to do with the (relevant) Acts themselves or with the Rules which have been passed, then get the Boards to do it or tell the revenue secretary accordingly,” said Sitharaman said at a post-Budget conference in Bengaluru.
Many issues that were raised in the Budget outreach programmes were not strictly not budget-related, but more about the rules, etc. “I am sorry, the boards will have to do better. Keep yourself available on Saturdays and also over phone and emails.”
