My Tax app

The My Tax app is being developed in-house by the Income Tax Department.

The Income Tax Department will soon launch a mobile app that will act as a portal for almost anything I-T-related. From payments, tax deducted, to communications from the department, everything can be managed through the My Tax app.

It is being developed in-house, a government official. The individual's profile will be mapped to the permanent account number (PAN), allowing the collation of all tax-related information, including deductions by third parties, pertaining to that login. Taxpayers will also be able to respond to queries from the I-T Department or file complaints via the app, which is being developed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to make the administration non-intrusive and taxpayer-friendly. It will complement similar initiatives by the board such as online scrutiny, which allows tax officials to seek details of transactions and get responses by e-mail.

The department recently unveiled Aaykar Setu, a new taxpayer service module that will have mobile and desktop versions. The app will provide various services such as PAN, TAN (tax deduction and collection account number) and tax payments.

The My Tax app will be personalised, but it's not clear whether tax-filing facilities will be available immediately.

The I-T Department is keen on the initiative as it believes convenience and simplicity are key to alleviating fear of the taxman and widening the tax base, having adopted the motto that taxpayers must be treated as customers.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent a clear message to the tax authorities that they need to ensure that taxpayers do not fear the department.The department is working on a number of initiatives to improve its image.

The department is working on jurisdiction-free assessment, which means a taxpayer will not be linked to a particular ward or assessing officer. Assessment, if any, can be done anywhere in India, reducing the scope for interaction and harassment.