The pressure seems to be piling up on the Central Board of Direct Taxes internally to extend the March 31 deadline for various proceedings and returns with the country under lockdown due to the rapid spread of coronavirus.

Rajasthan Income Tax department has also written to the Central Board of Direct taxes to extend the deadlines due at the end of the month with the State under lockdown and no public transport, taxi, auto rickshaws available to commute.

“Further, it is to inform you that apart from the complete lockdown ‘4’ districts of Rajasthan i.e. Bhilwara, Jhunjunu, Sikar and Tonk are under curfew, and nobody can move out of their homes,” Neena Nigam, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Rajasthan has written in a letter to CBDT Chairman PC Mody.

“… and the only solution that appears to me is the extension of time barring date March 31,2020 for all the proceedings in Income tax Act and extension of deadlines in other Acts implemented by the Income tax department,” she has said.

Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Mumbai) has also written a similar letter to the CBDT Chairman referring to the complete lockdown in the city that has made the commute to the office difficult for income-tax officers.

Time barring activities which are due at the end of the month include penalties, processing of returns under Section 143 (1) of the Income Tax Act, revised and late filing of returns, reopening of assessment under Section 148 as well as revision of assessments. The deadline for 100 per cent payment of disputed tax under the Vivad se Vishwas Scheme is also March 31.

Earlier, the Income-Tax Employees Federation and Income Tax Gazetted Officers Federation have also written to the Chairman, Central Board of Direct Taxes to extend the current financial year 2019-20 till April 30 this year, instead of the traditional March 31 due to the Covid19 outbreak. To ensure the safety of employees, they have also sought closing down of all income tax offices across the country till March 31.