New Delhi, April 14
The Income Tax Department has decided to name and shame “chronic” tax defaulters by publicising their names and addresses. It is in the process of finalising the procedure of compiling names and cases pertaining to habitual tax dodgers and subsequently uploading these on its website.

“The department would upload the names of such defaulters who have either a huge outstanding tax against their name and are absconding or they have dodged taxes for a number of times. The public will be informed against such people,” a senior I-T official said.

During a recent meeting, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) observed while its public campaign asking taxpayers to pay their dues had borne fruit, there are select cases of “chronic” and “persistent” default that need to be put in public domain to obtain vital leads in such case.

“While the department will take every step to reach out to a taxpayer who has not paid his taxes, it will also ensure to name and shame such people who blatantly violate the law. We have written to taxpayers, sent notices and even asked for voluntary compliance but some cases are tough to crack and hence we need public help in identifying them and their concealed assets for attachment,” the official said.

The department might also consider measures to publish names of such defaulters through other media like newspapers, but that would be done at a later stage, another official said. — PTI