Critical of the draft Direct Tax Code (DTC), a section of senior revenue service officers have said that it was an attempt to make Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) toothless. The officers, mostly from Income Tax department in Mumbai, said th at the DTC has recommended removing powers of the CBDT to issue notifications or circulars or even bringing in amendments.

CBDT received several suggestions from stake holders time to time and the Board would not be able to implement them if powers to bring in amendments, notifications and circulars were taken away, the officers who included Chief Commissioners and Commissio ners said. They also regretted that the Board, which is responsible for mopping up direct tax revenue, has been kept away from the process of preparing the Dircet Tax Code.

The proposed code, which is to be implemented from April 1, 2011, claims that one of its purposes was to remove economic inefficiency, but it, in fact, introduces many contradictions, making it difficult to administer.