The Income Tax department has released a list of 29 entities owing £44.80 million in taxes as part of its strategy to name and shame large defaulters. The department, in advertisements issued in leading national dailies, brought out the list of defaulters of income tax and corporate tax even as it advised them to pay their "tax arrears immediately".
A senior official said the public list, with details of the individual or entity like their PAN card number, last known address and assessment range and defaulted amount of tax, is also aimed to make aware the people at large so that they inform the department in case of information against them. The IT department's notice read, "The entries in the list are specific to the tax arrears and assessment year mentioned. The tax defaulter's address, business, shareholding and management may have changed."
The total taxes due by these 29 defaulters is £44.80 million, the official said. The Central Board of Direct Taxes, the policy making body of the IT department, had few years back adopted the strategy of bringing out the names of chronic defaulters in public domain and had also begun posting these names on its possible website.
