If you have recently received an income tax notice, there’s good news for you. The National E-Assessment centre has extended the time limit for filing of responses to notices issued under Section 142(1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 under the e-assessment scheme 2019. For the notices issued up to December 24, 2019, the last date to file the response has been extended up to January 10, 2020. The statement says, “With a view to providing relief to the taxpayers and tax professionals and to facilitate the compliance with respect to e-Assessment proceedings under E- Assessment Scheme, 2019, the time limit for filing of response to notices under section 142(1) of the Income-tax Act issued up to 24.12.2019 by the National e-Assessment Centre is extended up to 10.01.2020 or time given in such notices, whichever is later.”

The notice under section 142(1) of the Income-tax Act is issued generally under three circumstances:

  • One has not filed the income tax return (ITR) within the due date.
  • The assessment of ITR requires the assessee to furnish additional information or documents.
  • Assessee is required to furnish a statement of all assets and liabilities.

The E-assessment Scheme, 2019 aims to completely eliminate the interactions between the tax authorities and the taxpayers in the country as the communication is entirely done electronically. It will be a face-less assessment as one is required to respond to notices online. With the e-assessment scheme in place, the need to visit the assessment officer or any tax department will not be there.

It is also important to note that under the existing provisions of Section 139(5) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, a Revised Return can only be filed if any assessee, who has filed an ITR under Section 139(1) of the Act or in response to notice under section 142(1), discovers any omission or any wrong statement therein.

So, if you have received a notice asking you to respond with any specific requirement, the same can be made by January 10, 2020. The response can be filed by the assessee up to the midnight of 10.01.2020, on the e-filing website of the income tax department.