« 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 «  Govt sets up help centres for filing IT returns... Hearing on INSA's petition adjourned to July 31... » I-T's data power to fight evasion better July, 04th 2006 The Income Tax department is working out modalities to mine the load of financial information being gathered through third-party sources to clamp down better on tax evasion. The I-T chief commissioners and director generals conference scheduled to be inaugurated by finance minister P Chidambaram on Tuesday is expected to deliberate on ways to use the data culled from car companies, credit card providers and banks to enhance revenue collection. The annual information report (AIR) format developed by the I-T department has now generated huge data flow on high-value transactions. But due to lack of manpower and the inability to efficiently use this information, the department has not been able to harness the information bank completely. Tomorrows conference would also look at measures to intensify scrutiny. This is part of the exercise to identify new strategies to enhance tax collection and expanding tax base, central board of direct taxes chairman MH Kherawala said. She said the conference would also discuss measures needed to unlock the huge amounts lying in the form of tax arrears as well as focus on deepening the computerisation programme of the department. There has been a 15% growth on the number of new assessees compared to last year. About 2.64 crore income tax assessees had filed returns in the previous year, Ms Kherawala told reporters, adding that the government expected the number to go up with its two-pronged strategy. She pointed out that as per the new I-T rules, all the partnership firms are required to file returns irrespective of their level of profit or loss. It has also been mandatory for all those who get income beyond threshold limit of Rs 1 lakh per annum for men, Rs 1.35 lakh for women and Rs 1.85 lakh for senior citizens to file income tax returns. For the convenience of small income tax payer, the government has set up 321 Help Centres across the country for filing tax returns which will render free-of-cost service. She clarified that the exercise is not a revenue-generating one. There would be at least one Help Centre under every direct tax commissionerate and the centres are set up outside I-T offices, chambers of commerce and chartered accountants offices. These centres have stared functioning from June 15. The facility will be available till August 15 and would again get operational in March 1-31. The Help Centres were first started last year. The last date for filing return is July 31.