Tax Bar Association, Bhilwara has requested for extension of Due Date of filing of Tax Audit and Income Tax Return for Assessment Year 2020 due to COVID 19 Pandemic. Request is been made to Hon’ble Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman. It is requested to further extend the due date of filing tax audit report to 28 February 2021 and Income tax return filing to 31 March. Full text of the Representation is as follows:-
Date: 15th Dec. 2020
To,
Smt. Nirmala Sitaraman
Hon’ble Finance Minister,
Ministry of Finance,
Government of India,
North Block,
New Delhi 110 001
Subject: Request for extension of Due Date of filing of Tax Audit and Income Tax Return for Assessment Year 2020 due to COVID 19 Pandemic.
The Tax Bar Association Bhilwara is organization of tax practitioners of Bhilwara having Advocates, Chartered Accountants and Tax practitioners having more than 200 members.
At the outset, we would like to convey our sincere thanks and gratitude to the Government for the way the pandemic has been efficiently tackled. Also to the Finance Ministry to provide extension of due dates of filing Income tax audit report and income tax return (non-tax audit cases) filing upto 31 December 2020 and Income tax return filing (tax audit cases) 31 January 2021 considering the COVID 19 conditions.
As you are aware, there is sudden increase in the COVID 19 cases across India. Our Bhilwara is worst affected from COVID 19 pandemic. Bhilwara has been receiving hundreds of cases on daily basis with more than 10000 cases reported till date.
Further, we wish to highlight as under:
1. Curfew at Bhilwara
Considering the increased number of cases in Bhilwara, the Administration imposed curfew till 16 November 2020. As on today, the Administration has imposed curfew in containment zones. Further, since 22 November 2020, the Authorities have imposed night curfew from 8 pm to 6 am. During the night curfew, all markets, work places and commercial complexes shall be closed by 7 pm. Considering the curfew, the tax professionals are left with limited working hours to complete the work.
2. Various businessmen, accountants and tax professionals have been tested positive and were under quarantine. This has resulted into delay in completing audits and filing of Income-tax returns.
In many cases, the work is hampered due to cases of COVID 19 being in stages. For eg. Once the accountant is tested positive, the work was stopped for 20 days. Once he joined back, the business man/ professional staff is tested positive. In this manner, the work is delayed by more then 1-2 months.
3. The reporting requirement of tax Audit and statutory audit requires various information to be checked and feeded in forms. In many cases, reporting is pending due to non-availability of details. Considering the limited staff availability, lesser visits to the client place, calling for information via scanned or couriers, limited working hours, it is taking a lot more time to complete an audit as compared to earlier years.
4. Long term effect: Considering the heavy medication during the COVID -19 treatment, even after recovering from COVID, businessmen and professional staff are taking time resume offices. This is also impacting the efficiency of our professional staff. Even doctors are advising to take precautions even after recovering from COVID-19.
5. Festive season: As you are aware, due to COVID19 the business of many MSME were impacted severely. The business man got a chance during the festive season to recover the losses and streamline the business. However, he is also required to focus on complying with statutory due dates. Many time he has to visit tax professionals offices during the peak business hours to get his compliance done in due time.
6. Updation in utilities and instructions:
The utilities are being updated with various bugs fixes:
Form | Excel Utility | Java Utility |
ITR 1 | 01-12-2020 | 01-12-2020 |
ITR 2 | 10-12-2020 | 01-12-2020 |
ITR 3 | 01-12-2020 | 01-12-2020 |
ITR 4 | 01-12-2020 | 01-12-2020 |
ITR 5 | 03-12-2020 | 10-12-2020 |
ITR 6 | 03-12-2020 | 03-12-2020 |
ITR 7 | 08-12-2020 | 08-12-2020 |
Further, revised instructions to file various ITRs were issued on 22 November 2020 to provide clarity in filing of ITR.
7. Various due dates being overlapped: Along with the aforesaid Income-tax due dates, there are other compliance with due date of 31 December 2020.
a. GST annual return for FY 201819 (GSTR 9/9A) – 31 December 2020
b. GST Audit/ Reconciliation statement (GSTR 9C) for FY 201819 – 31 December 2020
c. The due date for holding AGM for corporate entities can not be extended beyond 31 December 2020
d. The due date for filing declaration under Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Act 2020 is 31 December 2020
These bottlenecks are making it difficult for the assessee, the accounts and the tax professionals to comply even with the extended due dates.
In view of the above genuine difficulties being faced by tax payers and tax practitioners due to outbreak of COVID 19 pandemic, we would request you to further extend the due date of filing tax audit report to 28 February 2021 and Income tax return filing to 31 March at the earliest. The entire fraternity of tax payers and professionals will highly appreciate if this is done soon enough (i.e. well in advance).
We hope your honour shall take positive action to resolve the problems faced Secretary: by the members. We look forward to your kind support and cooperation.
Thank you
For: Tax Bar Association, Bhilwara | ||
Sd/- President (CA Atul Somani) |
Sd/- Secretary (CA Amit Kumar Seth) |
Sd/- Treasurer (CA Ankit Lakhotiya) |
Cc:
1. Hon’ble Chairman CBDT, New Delhi
2. The CCIT, Udaipur
3. The JCIT, Range-2, Ajmer
Download Full Text of Representation in PDF Format
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We, the citizens expect more responsible and proactive action of Government in the current situation as they are still in chains of the pandamic. As partners in nation building by paying tax, we have rights to get justice and also humanitarian compassion when we are broken. And that’s why we are pleading for extension of IT filing dates. Hope, the PM, FM and other authorities will consider the request of CA Association and take an early decision favourable to the people.
TAX AUDIT DUE DATE AND DUE DATE FOR NON AUDIT CASES FOR ASSTT YEAR 2020-21 DESERVES TO BE EXTENDED AS STATED IN THE REPRESENTATION. IT IS VERY MUCH GENUINE AND REASONABLE REQUEST. KINDLY DO ACCEPT OUR REQUEST
Very good representation give to FM & PM and on that basis the govt. should consider the request immediately otherwise no use. Although it is correct but business man also take care to complete their books in time so the work can be finished in time.
Very good representation give to FM & PM and on that basis the govt. should consider the request immediately otherwise no use. Although it is correct but business man also take care to complete their books in time so the work can be finished in time. Our responsibility is two-way. This should also be keep in our mind.
Welcome request for extension to the benefit of affected.
Good representation.Early positive action highly appreciated from Government.
Government should immediately extend the due date of above mentioned compliances till 31st March 2021. Whole the country is fighting with COVID and North region is severely affected. These days there is cold wave and no body want to take chance to compromise with health by working extreme hard and till night as it was done in previous years to do the compliances before due dates.
The people are not fully out yet, the bus facility is limited, LACKDODWN is fully operational from March 20th to June, the people are all just a little outside now, so time must be given,
I hope our esteemed Nirmala Sitharaman will take a quick decision on this matter.
Under the present circumstances the due date must be increased
We need to be more responsible and proactive to Government. We, partners in nation building, must ensure timely accounts, audit, tax filing and ensure timely payment of taxes, instead of seeking time when government needs funds to tackle pandemic. No great job in seeking time. Be disciplined. Advise clients to be prompt. Use technology and remain updated at all times. Let us not be parasites to Government. Gain confidence of Honourable PM. Work smart.
Good representation , which we chartered and tax association should fight unitedly to enable CBDT and CBIC to extend due dates . Still audits are still uncompleted in may unlisted and Firms ,LLP . So the CBDT should extend the time limit . Waiting for good news .
Due to various factors which are beyond the controlof the assessees and CA the audit of accounts and filing of ROI are getting delayed. Hence the Govt. has to extend the dates of filing ROI as sought by the Association, which will be of great help to the tax paying public, who have suffered heavily due to the COVID – 19 pandamic.
Extend must need .. Why CA association not filed case in Supreme Court ?.. IT & GST department only listen the language of Court !!!!!
Very Good Representation Sir
Hope our Beloved Finance Minister may certainly considred the request with humanitarian gound as our Country is facing lot of problems in all the fields. especially Tax Practitioners,Chartered Accountants are facing much difficulties with thin attendance in the offices due to Covid19. Let us hope for the best