Tamil Nadu has 3,34,43,221 PAN card holders and the number of cases selected for scrutiny has been reducing over the years, recent data released by the Union Finance Ministry showed.
For the assessment year 2018-19, 40,72,285 Income Tax returns were filed in Tamil Nadu and the number of cases selected for scrutiny was 0.30%. This is lower compared to 0.66% cases selected for scrutiny out of the 33,77,184 returns filed for assessment year 2017-18. A total of 32,15,402 income tax returns were filed in the assessment year 2016-17, out of which 0.48% cases were scrutinised.
The data also showed the scrutiny rate in 2018-19 is the lowest over the past four assessment years. For the State, the scrutiny rate was highest at 0.89% in assessment year 2015-16, out of the 26,60,339 Income Tax returns filed.
As per the data, Puducherry has 4,98,976 PAN card holders and the scrutiny rate came down to 0.25% out of the 78,370 income tax returns filed for assessment year 2018-19, from 0.68% out of the 51,761 returns filed for assessment year 2015-16.
The Finance Ministry had disclosed data on the overall scrutiny rate and data for each state.
Overall, the level of scrutiny reduced to 0.25% of all returns filed in 2018-19 from 0.71% in 2015-16, it said. The scrutiny rate was 0.40% in 2016-17 and 0.55% in 2017-18 respectively, the data showed.
“Income Tax Department is changing -- from just enforcement to facilitating better taxpayer services. In continuation of the same, the number of cases selected for scrutiny has reduced drastically over the years,” the Finance Ministry said in a Twitter post.
