The government will soon appoint tax ombudsmen in twelve cities to redress grievances of income tax payers.

Tax ombudsmen are to be appointed in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Kanpur, Chandigarh, Bhopal and Kochi, official sources said today.

Income Tax Ombudsmen Guidelines provide for award of a token compensation of Rs 1,000 by ombudsmen, for any loss suffered by complainants.

The award would be binding on the revenue department and the complainant, provided the complainant accepts the decision and communicates the same in writing within 15 days, the sources said.

However, the complainant would have to exhaust all the official channels before approaching the ombudsmen, the sources added.