- By Abhirupa Kundu
- Mon, 01 Apr 2024 12:51 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Central Government on Monday told the Supreme Court that it will not take any coercive action to recover tax dues worth a sum of whopping Rs 3,567 crore from the Congress untill the end of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. The Income Tax department assured that any steps to recover the pending dues will be deferred till after the polls.
"The issues which arise in these appeals are yet to be adjudicated upon but having regard to the situation now, the (Income Tax) department does not wish to precipitate the matter and (says) that no coercive steps will be taken with regard to (the tax demand of) ₹3,500 crores approximately. List the matter on second week of July," Centre's order stated.
The IT department has raised a total demand of Rs 3,567 crore from the Congress for the assessment years 2014-15 to 2016-17.
According to sources, the fresh tax notices relate to 2014-15 (Rs 663 crore), 2015-16 (around Rs 664 crore) and 2016-17 (around Rs 417 crore). The authorities have ended the tax exemption available to political parties and have taxed the party for the entire collections, they added.
The Congress has also been taxed for "third-party entries" made in diaries seized from some of its leaders by probe agencies during raids, the sources said.
The opposition party on Friday said that it has received notices from the I-T department, asking it to pay around Rs 1,823 crore.
The Congress had moved the court against the Rs 135-crore tax demand. The party has failed to get any relief from the High Court of the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in this regard.
Congress leaders have contended that similar third-party entries naming BJP leaders in other diaries have not been levied any tax. They have accused the BJP of indulging in "tax terrorism" and financially crippling the principal opposition party during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
To protest against the continuing tax terrorism of the Modi Government on @INCIndia, all Pradesh Congress Committees (PCCs) will be holding massive public demonstrations at the State and District headquarters tomorrow and the day after. Senior leaders and party functionaries will… pic.twitter.com/S8CoYTHncU
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 29, 2024
By doing so, they are disturbing the level playing field during elections, the Congress has alleged. It has also complained to the Election Commission in this regard and urged it to maintain a level playing field.
The Supreme Court listed the next hearing of the matter on June 24.
(With agency inputs)