The Income Tax (I-T) department has received a large number of complaints from the assesses in relation to e-refund and e-filing of income tax returns, which were launched in 2006. So far, the department received as many as 3,009 complaints through citizen's charter and 111 grievances were received through other means.

In most of the cases, the grievances are related to mismatch of pre-paid taxes and refunds on e-returns.

Talking to ToI, Surendra Mishra, chief commissioner, Income Tax (Indore region), said, "Persistent problems are being faced by the I-T officials and tax payers as assesses at times do not furnish correct credit of the prepaid taxes. Also, there are issues governing tax deducted at source (TDS) and its implication on e-return."

I-T officials said mention of wrong PAN (Permanent Account Number) while filing the returns or in case the assessee doesn't file return at all. Some of the other problems are incorrect filing ofTDS return by the deductors. Deductors are those that are responsible for doing the job of TDS in the respective offices of the assessees, added Mishra.

In fact, the department is evoking good response from the tax payers to its initiative of e-returning and e-refund system. "We have received 56% of the returns filed by the taxpayers through e-return during the current fiscal so far as compared to the figures achieved by us during the corresponding period the previous fiscal," said Mishra.

He further said that 90% of the e-refunds had already been issued. As per the existing system, e-refund was to be issued by the system generated bankers' scheme, located in Mumbai, he added.

"We have already resolved 72 out of 111 grievances received through routes other than the citizens charter. Similarly, we have already resolved 1,890 cases so far, out of 3009 grievances that the department received through citizen charter," added the official.

The department is holding a day-long workshop on issues relating to Central Processing Centre(CPC) in Indore on February 10. On getting processed through CPC in Bangalore, all the e-returns are directed to refund bankers' scheme in New Delhi which is an auto generated system that sends the refund amount directly to the taxpayers' bank account. (Times of India)