The Karnataka & Goa circle of Income Tax (I-T) Department is looking to collect Rs 51,000 crore during Fy12, an almost 28 per cent increase from Rs 40,000 crore collected during the last fiscal. This circle, the third largest in country after Mumbai and Delhi, is also eyeing to smoke out as much as Rs 1,500 crore through the tax evaders during this fiscal, after unearthing Rs 1,300 crore during the last fiscal.

Pravin Kishore Prasad, Director of Income-Tax (International Taxation, Bangalore), told reporters in Bangalore on Wednesday that there are issues of manpower resources in taking forward this work of the income tax department.

In 1999, when the direct taxes collections were at Rs 46,600 crores, the total working strength of the I-T Department was about 61,000 personnel; whereas when the department is going to collect more than Rs 500,000 crores, the total strength of all officers and staff is only at around 55,000. This explains the urgent need to augment the human and physical resources in the I-T department, Prasad said.

According to him the proposed Direct Taxes Code (DTC) is expected to improve the voluntary compliance and will lead to more resource mobilisation. During Fy11, the I-T department had collected Rs 4,46,000 crore and this is expected to touch Rs 5,32,000 crore. As per projections of the 13th Finance Commission, the direct tax collections in India will be Rs 830,000 crores by 2014-15, he noted.

Prasad was of the view that computerisation will help to a certain extent given the fact that enforcement of paying of taxes cannot be automated. The work load is peaking and only some work such as data-entry can be outsourced. Enforcement cannot be outsourced, he added.

Prasad also added that these issues and other aspects such as issues relating to the structure, vision and roadmap for the department, infrastructure augmentation and other service matters so as to prepare the Service and the Department in the years to come, will be discussed at the forthcoming two day all India convention in Bangalore which will be during January 20 & 21.