The e-Verification Scheme, 2021 notified on Monday covers faceless information collection from assessees and its verification.

The scheme is notified under a provision in Income Tax Act 135A that proposes faceless information gathering aimed at imparting efficiency, transparency and accountability by eliminating the interface between the income-tax authority and the assessee. It also seeks to optimize use of the department’s resources.

Under the scheme, information will be collected, including in cases where the register of companies is to be inspected in a faceless way to the extent technologically feasible.

The e-verification will cover information which is either in possession of designated tax officials or which is handed down to them by other official arms including the Director General of Income-tax (Intelligence and Criminal Investigation).

“The government has now empowered the tax office to gather more information from the taxpayers and reconcile it with information received from other specified agencies. In case there is any mismatch between the amount reported by the taxpayer and the amount reported after such first e-verification, the information could be passed for the intelligence and criminal investigation," said Rajat Mohan, senior partner at AMRG and Associates, an accounting firm.

Digital verification of data online is an attempt by the department at creating more accountability, said Neeraj Agarwala, partner at Nangia Andersen India, a consultancy.