Those defaulting in filing income tax returns are liable to prosecution, the I-T department has said.

If the tax evaded exceeds Rs 25 lakh, the defaulter can be sentenced to a minimum imprisonment of six months and maximum of seven years, besides being asked to pay a fine. If the tax evasionamount is less than Rs 25 lakh, the imprisonment could range between three months to two years in addition to fine.

Recently, the additional chief metropolitan magistrate, New Delhi, sentenced a taxpayer to six months' imprisonment in one assessment year and one year imprisonment in subsequent assessment year for repeating the offence of not filing income tax returns. (PTI)