Making income tax assessment process nameless and faceless, income tax department's National e-Assessment Centre (NeAC) was launched in New Delhi today.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has issued a circular few days ago directing that during the financial year 2019-20, all assessment proceedings should be conducted electronically.

It has also directed taxman that for smooth conduct of assessment proceedings through 'E-Proceeding', requisition of information in cases under ' E-Proceeding' should be sought after a careful scrutiny of case records.

How income tax e-assessment system works:

Under the new e-assessment system, tax assesses will receive notices on their registered emails as well as on registered accounts on the web portal www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in with real time alert by way of SMS on their registered mobile number. The issues will be specified on email and on the portal.

All such communication will have a document identification number (DIN), using which you can search it on the income tax e-filing portal.

To reply to any income tax notice, you are not supposed to visit any income tax office or send letters by post, unless its an exception case. All taxpayers have to reply to any notice or letter from the tax department electronically through their account on the income tax department's e-filing portal.

After your reply is received, the NeAC will allocate the case to an assessing officer using an automated system.

"The new initiative shall impart greater efficiency, transparency and accountability in the assessment process. There would be no physical interface between the tax payers and the tax officers," the finance ministry said.

The income tax department has also issued a list of exceptional cases where e-proceedings will not be carried out: Cases where the Income Tax Return (ITR) was filed in the paper mode and the assessee concerned does not yet have an e-filing account; assessment being framed in non-PAN (permanent account number) cases; cases where there are administrative difficulties, complex cases or there are certain extraordinary circumstances.