Glitches Galore in e-filing portal of Income Tax Department

Glitches galore in e-filing portal of Income Tax Department

Out of sheer desperation, I am making public my wife’s email dated February 10, 2023 to Finance Minister Smt. N. Seetharaman.

To

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman

Finance Minister

New Delhi

Respected Madam,

Subject: Unable to file ITR 2 due to glitches

I am constrained to bring to your kind notice the problems I am facing in filing my income tax return for the assessment year 2022-23. My PAN is ……………

I do not have taxable income but I am required to file the return because, during the financial year 2021-22, more than ₹2.00 lakh had been spent from my bank account for the purchase of foreign exchange for foreign travel. It was not my money. My husband had transferred money to my bank account for the ease of purchase of foreign exchange. Anyway, under the law, I have to file the return.

In the return, I have to mention that I am a director of an unlisted domestic private company though I do not get a single paisa from the company.

Despite several attempts since December 2022, my return could not be filed due to glitches. All the three options given by the portal have been tried.

In January 2023, my husband, Devendra Narain, a retired IRS officer, sent two emails to the Director of the CPC, Bengaluru, drawing his attention to several glitches. He has not been informed about the action taken to remove the glitches.

Here I am mentioning 4 glitches faced yesterday.

• ITR 2 cannot be filed online because the JSON file to be attached contains an error. However, the system does not indicate how to rectify that error. Please see Annexures 1& 2.

 

 

• The common utility cannot be used because it does not accept the password used for logging. Please see Annexure 3.
• The latest version of the “Utility Excel Based” (released on January 21, 2023) can also not be used because Part A of the ITR has blocked the columns where (a) the reason for filing the return (expenditure on foreign travel) and (b) the information about the domestic company have to be furnished. In addition, it has no column to give the basis of the status of residence. Please see Annexure 4.
• The details of assets are required to be given when the taxable income exceeds Rs. 1 cr. but the utility requires information even when there is no taxable income.

Madam, my problem is that the Income Tax Department can punish me for not filing the return but the department’s portal does not allow me to file. What should I do?

I request you to please direct the persons concerned to remove the glitches at the earliest.

With kind regards.

Yours faithfully

Chhaya Narain

February 10, 2023

Gurugram-122018