During the past year 2019, CPC (TDS) released a host of useful utilities at TRACES, including the following-
1. DIN Verification Functionality on TRACES Homepage wherein taxpayer can verify communication received from the department.
2. Aadhar based authentication in CPC (TDS) as additional authentication mode for TRACES users.
3. Form 16 – Part B generation has been made online through TRACES. Earlier DDO were required to make it manually and issue it to the taxpayers.
4. Refund of excess TDS paid on sale of immovable property (Form 26QB) is also made online without any manual intervention.
5. Form 24Q (Salary Statement) to be filed by deductors has been enhanced to capture the detailed data of salary which helps in prefilled ITR form. Owing to this initiative, the salaried taxpayer is getting its ITR prefilled. Taxpayers just need to verify the prefilled data and is able to file the income tax return on single click.
6. Earlier Taxpayer can view his provisional Form 16/16A/16B and 27D through E-Filing or Net Banking website. Now this functionality is available on TRACES website and its users can view their provisional Form 16/16A/16B and 27D certificate. Taxpayer can use this functionality from financial year 2016-17 onwards.
7. Operationalization of completely online process of application, approval and issuance of lower rate certificates u/s 197 of the Income tax Act, 1961. The same is an end to end and contactless utility for use by the taxpayers.
8. Relaxation in KYC authentication (DSC made non-mandatory) for deductors while filing online corrections. (for add challan / BIN to statement, payment of LP, LD, Interest and late filing fee).
9. Provisional view of TDS / TCS certificate made available to the taxpayers.
10. 26AS download made available in MS excel format. It had been a requirement from deductees to provide 26AS download in excel format for ease of reconciliation at their end.
Still not enough.Tax payers should be alloeed to view /download F16/F16A themselves without unique Certificste number(instead of Certificate vslidstion) uding their User ID(PAN) and Password Tax payers do experience in getting timely Certficates from Tax deductors.