13 lakh get email for 'suspicious' deposits

New Delhi: Nearly Rs 4.17 lakh crore of suspicious cash was deposited by about 13 lakh people post demonetisation, CBDT chairman Sushil Chandra said on Thursday. Of those whose data the income tax department now has, email and SMS queries have been sent to 13 lakh people on Thursday, he said addressing a post-Budget seminar here. “We have (accumulated) around 18 lakh persons’ data, amounting to Rs 4.17 lakh crore deposits into accounts. Another data (for) 10 lakh is ready. We want that this should be completed and we have today issued 13 lakh SMS and emails to the persons about whom we have details,” he said.

The remaining five lakh people will receive notifications on Friday, seeking a clarification under ‘Operation Clean Money’. The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), he said, is moving on a very fast track to ensure that all untaxed are brought under the tax net. The information on 18 lakh depositors is part of the CBDT’s ‘Swachh Dhan Abhiyan’ (Operation Clean Money) drive that uses data analytics and taxpayer profiling to detect potential tax evasion on cash deposits following the November 8 decision to junk Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes.

Earlier this week, Chandra said people would be given 10 days to reply to the e-communication. Replies can be filed by logging on to the online portal of the income tax department. In the initial phase, the CBDT has put on its e-filing portal the data of those who have deposited Rs 5 lakh or more of suspicious nature after November 8 and have poor tax compliance, Chandra said. He said data on 18 lakh taxpayers has been uploaded on the portal.