With major cities in Maharashtra under a lockdown due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus infection, the Mumbai income tax authorities have written to the Central Board of Direct Taxes to extend the time barring date of March 31 as well as to extend the Vivad se Vishwas Scheme and provisions of the Black Money Act, due at the end of the month.

Time barring activities due at the end of the month include penalties, processing of returns under Section 143 (1) of the Income Tax Act, revised and late filing of returns, reopening of assessment under Section 148 as well as revision of assessments.

“In the city of Mumbai, suburban local trains have been stopped. More than 90 per cent of staff and officers commute to office by local trains and a stoppage of this service has meant there is no staff or officer able to come to office,” Satish Kumar Gupta, Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax (Mumbai) wrote in a recent letter to CBDT Chairman PC Mody.

He has also pointed out that the TDS building has been taken over by the Municipal Corporation to be used as a hospital. Further, there is also panic, and in line with the government advisory, officers are unable to travel and have to maintain social distancing.

“Their travel not only risks their personal safety but that of their family and the whole community,” he pointed out.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday put the entire State under curfew with exceptions for essential services but imposing restrictions on inter-district movement. With the State registering the highest number of Covid-19 infections in the country, the Maharashtra government had on March 22 put prohibitory orders in all urban areas of the State and also shut down all public transport, including trains and buses, except for essential services.

With the Covid-19 pandemic restricting movement and work, industry associations and tax practitioners have also been seeking an extension in the various deadlines that fall at the end of the month.

Six trade and tax chambers had earlier sent a representation to Finance Minsiter Nirmala Sitharaman seeking extension of the March 31 deadline for 100 per cent payment of disputed tax under the Vivad se Vishwas Scheme, as it may not be successful in the current economic turmoil and short time frame.

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