« Top Headlines » Open DEMAT Account in 24 hrs  Delhi HC Rules GST Registration Cannot Be Cancelled Retrospectively Without a Clear Show Cause Notice (SCN)  Belated income tax return AY 2026-27: How to file, late filing charges and what you may lose  Major Financial Changes from August 1, 2026: ITR Deadline, RBI MPC Meeting, Tatkal Ticket Rules & More  Government proposes to ease tax relief conditions for offshore funds  TallyPrime Connected Banking: Automating Banking and Accounting  ITR Filing Deadline 2026: Is July 31 the Last Date to File Your Income Tax Return? Latest Official Update  ITR filing deadline nears: How to file income tax return online on e-filing portal - quick 15-step guide  Will the ITR Filing Deadline Be Extended Beyond July 31 for FY 2025-26? Here's the Latest Update for Taxpayers  Income Tax Refund Delayed for AY 2026-27? 5 Common Reasons Your Refund May Be Stuck and How to Fix It  ITR Filing 2026: FM Nirmala Sitharaman Asks Tax Officials to Let Honest Taxpayers Correct Genuine Mistakes  Will Your FCNR Deposit Stay Tax-Free After Returning to India? Tax Rules Explained for NRIs «  Television editor sues channel for sweat equity... Portfolio management profits to be taxed at 10%... » Big co-op depositors on I-T radar July, 19th 2006 The tax department is gradually tightening the noose on cooperative bodies. After bringing profit-making cooperative banks under the income tax ambit, the Central Board of Direct Taxes is now vetting a proposal to make it mandatory for all of them to furnish the list of depositors with cash deposits aggregating over Rs two lakh in their savings bank account and time deposits. As of now, scheduled banks provide the list of depositors with cash deposits of Rs 10 lakh or more in their savings bank account in a financial year. Some of the big cooperative banks such as Saraswat Bank, Cosmos Bank figure in the list of scheduled banks. This information on depositors is being furnished through the annual information returns (AIR) filed by third parties, including banks. Tax officials are matching such high-value investments made by individuals with their income tax returns to check if they are paying less or evading taxes. Revenue authorities now want to widen the AIR net and make it mandatory for all cooperative banks to provide the list of those having cash deposits above Rs 2 lakh in their savings banks. The recommendation has been made by a high-level committee on restructuring the role and functions of the Central Information Branch (CIB), chaired by SK Sharma, chief commissioner, Income Tax (Pune). The panel is also for expanding the AIR basket to cover time deposits of over Rs two lakh in cooperative banks. It is widely perceived that a huge amount of money is being laundered through the cooperative banking channel. The move to collect information on depositors having savings deposits above a certain threshold in cooperative banks is intended to curb money laundering, if any, said Mr Sharma.