CBDT Chairman to field officers: Equip yourselves in understanding latest trends in business, engage with stakeholders

Taking note of new business practices, Ravi Agrawal, the newly-appointed Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has asked income tax officials to “equip” themselves with knowledge on these trends and also engage with stakeholders for better understanding.

“The complexities of financial transactions are increasing day-by-day. New innovations are taking place in different modes of doing business. New business practices and nature of financial transactions are evolving. We address wide spectrum of taxpayers that range from new individual taxpayers to organisations having operations across the globe,” Agrawal said in his first message to field formations since taking charge on July 1.

“Let us equip ourselves with understanding latest trends in businesses and financial transactions so that we are capable of addressing associated issues with a professional approach,” he said, adding that the department can also engage with the stakeholders to gather more insights into the financial ecosystem on the one hand and building their confidence in processes on the other.

Agrawal, who was previously Member CBDT, was appointed as CBDT Chairman for a one-year period until June 30, 2026, by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on June 29.

He further noted that while the CBDT has achieved several milestones through technology-driven processes, government process re-engineering, and stakeholder engagement, it must recognise that there are still many areas that require attention.

At present, the department maintains a database of over 760 million PANs and over 7.4 million TANs.

“We are committed to put in place efficient processes that address not only more than 8 crore (80 million) Income Tax Return filers and approximately 34 lakh (3.4 million) active deductors, but also other participants including Self Reporting Organisations, Financial Institutions and other institutions in the government space,” he underlined.

Further, in keeping with the government’s decision to draw out 100-day plans for each administrative ministry, the CBDT Chairman also urged officers to draw short-term, medium and long term plans of their respective verticals and charges.