World is a Global Village. We can file income tax returns from anywhere in the country. Wherever income tax refunds are permissible we get income tax refund from the office where income tax return was filed. To the best of my knowledge and as on date direct credit of income tax refund to bank account is yet to start. **But, at times getting income tax refund is really Herculean task.*
Have you ever heard of PAN migration? Is your income tax refund pending due to PAN migration? Delays in settling income tax refunds due to PAN migration is not only bothering individuals and corporate but also to income tax authorities. All are squarely blaming it on technology but RTI act 2005 played a pivotal role overcoming technological lacunae. Isn’t it great? Read on.
PAN, permanent account number, is a unique identification number of taxpayer citizen. Epicenter of this PAN is income tax office from where this 10 digit alphanumeric code and card is allotted. Today we are experiencing multi-city banking, internet banking and so on. But if your expectation is to get income tax refund from anywhere in the country, at least from the office where you filed your return, hold your breathe and be prepared to be in a taxman’s cue.
If you have filed income tax return at Pune and your PAN is registered at Patna income tax office, then Pune tax office will send automated request to Patna tax office for PAN migration. This automated request from Pune regional server is expected to reach Patna regional server via national server, which never happens and such requests remain dumped. Such requests for PAN migration never sees the light of its destination as **synchronization between regional server and national server is still a nightmare, exposed an RTI application.** As a result tax payer is required to oscillate between two tax offices.
RTI application with Pune and Patna tax offices exposed this technological lacunae and helped me get my income tax refund of rupees 720 only. RTI applications were attended positively and with sense of urgency at both tax offices and tax officials deserve appreciation.
So what to conclude? RTI act 2005 helped to overcome technological lacunae of income tax server synchronization, traced out dumped request of PAN migration, accelerated PAN migration process and settled income tax refund case. This is really great. I am a happy taxpayer always.
*~ Avinash Murkute | Pune | Mobile: 9822698070*