| J&K traders urge Centre to extend date of filing ITRs, TARs | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Oct 2: The business class of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday urged the Centre to extend the date of filing of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) and Tax Audit Reports (TARs) as tax payers were paying the penalties due to the in the state.
The dates to file ITRs and ATRs across the country except in Jammu and Kashmir have been extended whose accounts were required to be audited till October 31, 2019.
''However, no extension has been extended to the state of J&K where internet services and mobile connectivity was snapped from August 5 onwards and still continues to remain so in the major parts of the state,'' a prominent businessman pleading anonymity here told.
He said that no dates were extended for non audited Income Tax Assesses of J&K who were required to file their income Tax Returns by August 31, 2019 but could not do so due to lack of internet facilities and prevailing situation in the state. Pertinent to mention here that after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A of the Constitution of India on August 5, 2019, the State of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two separate Union Territories namely Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Since the internet and telephone connectivity was snapped across the newly formed Union Territories and even till date, the mobile internet connectivity was yet to be restored in whole of the erstwhile State of J&K and only broadband internet connections have been restored that too only in few districts of Jammu Province. However, mobile voice connections were also yet to be restored in whole of Kashmir Province and few districts of Jammu Province.
''We had a demand of extending dates for non audits reports to file ITRs but the date of filing accounts audit reports have been extended, which was a countrywide demand'', President Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Jammu Rakesh Gupta told.
He said that the internet has been snapped by the government and the date should have been automatically extended in view of snapped internet facility in Jammu and Kashmir barring broadband services, which were also not available with everyone.
''We want that the government should restore internet facility and extend the date of filing ITRs by March 31, 2020,'' the CCI Jammu head said.
''Inspite of receiving a number of representations from various trade, business and professional bodies of the state, the finance ministry and CBDT surprisingly have not heeded to the genuine requests of these bodies till date,'' he added.
President Chamber of Traders Federation J&K and National Vice President Confederation of All India Chamber,Neeraj Anand said, ''we have submitted the reports many times but the date for filing non audit reports has not yet been extended.''
''We met the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in September and she assured the business community of J&K on extension of date keeping in view the prevailing situation and restoration of internet,'' Mr Anand further said.
He stated that the cognisance taken so far was only at all India level of extending the date to file audit reports by Oct 31, 2019.
''Due to non extension of dates for filing non audit report, which was not extended after August 31, small scale traders are suffering and paying penalty for none of their fault,'' he added.
Also, businesses who have suffered losses during the last financial year were not be able to carry forward and set off their losses in the subsequent financial years since belated return filers were not allowed to do so, said a businessman, adding, ''further, it shall be a tough ask for the professionals of our state to file IT returns and conduct tax audits by October 31 when internet and communication lines are still not properly functional.''
Former Senior Vice President, Tax Bar Association Jammu, Sourav Mahajan said, ''internet is snapped for the last two months and BSNL though providing broadband facility but there is chaos in the offices due to rise in number of applicants.''
''The date for filing ITR and non-audit reports must be extended upto March 31, 2020,'' he further said adding that the "forced defaulters", who have to file ITR below Rs 5 lakh have to pay Rs 1000 as penalty and above Rs 5 lakh, it is Rs 5000, being paid for none fault.
''It was also assured by the state government to extend GST filing dates but still no decision has been taken on it and penalties are being imposed unnecessarily,'' he stated.
In J&K, where businesses of Jammu, Srinagar and Ladakh regions have been traditionally interdependent upon one another the professionals of the state are also finding it difficult to obtain balance confirmations and reconciliations with debtors and creditors, he added.
''Apart from Income Tax returns, other returns such as GST, Companies Act, ESIC Act, J&K Employees Provident Fund Act and FCRA etc. are also required to be filed online and require internet connectivity,'' said traders leader adding that, ''the government has till date has only extended the dates of filing GST returns for J&K for the month of July and August but penalties were still being imposed on filers of GSTR 7 in the GST portal for the month of July and August 2019.'' |
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