With its focus being on e-governance, the Income Tax Department is planning to equip itself with the latest technology for the benefit of tax payers.

“The Department has focused on e-governance initiatives to meet the challenges of the rapidly changing economic environment and the expectations of the growing number of tax payers,” Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said at the closing ceremony of the celebrations on competition of 150-years of the I-T Department.

Lauding the efforts of the I-T Department in revenue collection, he said the department has matured into an organisation that has consistently mobilised the resources needed for financing the development of the country.

The direct tax collections account for more than 56 per cent of the total revenue collections of the central government. The direct tax mop up was Rs. 4.46 lakh crore in 2010-11.

Under the e-payment system, tax payers have the facility to pay their taxes online, through ATMs, debit cards or cheques at bank branches across the country.

Since the launch of e-filing system in 2006-07, the number of tax payers filing returns electronically has increased from 3.63 lakh to about 92 lakh in the last fiscal.

Acknowledging that tax collection is a tedious task, Mr. Mukherjee said it could become more acceptable and participatory if tax payers knows that their contributions are being used for nation building. (The Hindu)