Jaitley launches single website for all I-T related work

Taxpayers will now be able to avail of an enhanced single website for all their income tax-related work, like filing returns or applying for a PAN card, with the finance minister Arun Jaitley launching the new window today.

An updated version of the existing web site of the income tax department - www.incometaxindia.gov.in - will now act as a "single window" for all activities and online services offered by the I-T department, officials said.

The website will be more user-friendly and robust, so that it can handle many hits at a time.

"The new website will have enhanced features and will be more customer-friendly. Taxpayers will be able to file their I-T returns online and even apply for a PAN from this portal, which was till now hosted on a different official web address of the department.

"The spruced up website is more robust and can handle the pressure of numerous hits at one time," an official said.

It will also be more colourful with different icons marking separate activities as compared to the earlier version, which only had two dominant shades of dark blue and white.

The website will also allow taxpayers to know about the I-T Act, various notices and circulars being issued from time to time and regular developments in the department.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) had envisaged such a web site in its ambitious 'Vision 2020' document prepared a few years back and the new website will be a culmination of efforts to give better services to taxpayers, they said.

Jaitley will launch the enhanced portal by the click of a button from his office in New Delhi's North Block in the presence of senior officials of the CBDT and I-T department.