The Income Tax Department is expected to launch a new e-filing web portal for taxpayers, which they use to file routine ITRs and perform other tax-related works, early next month, officials said on May 20, Thursday. With regard to this, the existing web portal will be shut for six days between June 1-6. Officials said the new portal will be made more user-friendly.
An order issued by the systems wing of the department on Wednesday said the "transition” from the old portal– www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in– to the new–www.incometaxgov.in–will be completed and made operational from June 7.
"In preparation of this launch and for migration activities, the existing portal of the department at www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in would not be available for a brief period of six days from June 1 to 6," the order said.
The existing portal will "not be available" to both the taxpayers as well as Income Tax Department officers during this period, it further said.
"All officers may be directed to fix any hearing or compliances only from June 10 onwards to give taxpayers time to respond to the new system," it added. And any work scheduled between the taxpayer and the assessing officer of the department may be preponed or adjourned, the order said.
The e-filing portal is used by the taxpayers to file their individual or business category income tax returns (ITRs) and also to raise complaints seeking refunds and other works with the tax department. The taxman uses it to issue notices, get responses from the taxpayer and respond to their queries and to communicate final orders like assessments, appeals, exemption and penalties, among others.
In the new financial year of 2021, changes that were announced in the Union Budget in February for income tax came into effect. These announcements included pre-filled Income Tax return (ITR) form, higher TDS and TDC rates, the option to choose 'New tax regime' instead of “Old tax regime' as well as exempting senior citizens above 75 from filing ITR, among others.