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Pratibha Chauhan
Tribune News Service
Shimla, April 23
The BJP MP from Mandi, Ram Swaroop, who has been re-nominated by the party, failed to file his income tax returns for four years (2014-15 to 2017-18), and the income-tax authorities condoned the delay within three days of his filing an application on April 15.
Swaroop is set to file his papers tomorrow, and the non-condonation of delay in filing of returns could have proved to be a major hurdle in his contesting the polls.
In his application, Ram Swaroop pleaded that being the MP from Mandi, he remained busy in “state affairs” due to which he could not file his tax returns. Experts said such delay in filing returns is rarely condoned. “The department proceeds under Section 147 of the IT Act for reopening of assessment and an opportunity is given to file the correct returns. Later, in case concealment is detected, penalty is imposed and prosecution launched,” a retired officer said. The condonation for not filing tax returns was granted to the MP on April 18, within three days of his filing the application.
The MP’s plea was referred to the Assessing Officer (AO) for obtaining a factual report. The report was then forwarded to the Joint Commissioner of Income Tax concerned on April 16 in which the AO had reported that the facts mentioned appear to be correct.
The I-T Department stated that the MP could not file his returns due to his busy schedule and that the facts stated were correct: the only source of income is the remuneration as MP and interest on the savings account.
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