FM Sitharaman asks IT dept to analyse cases lost at HCs, SC to draw lessons

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has asked the Income Tax Department to "analyse" court cases the taxman lost over the last decade in order to draw lessons and ensure litigation disputes are eliminated, official sources said Monday.

The minister has also asked the department to prepare a list of "expert" tax law advocates so that they can represent the I-T Department or the revenue side effectively at judicial forums including in insolvency cases before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), the sources said.

The decisions were taken during a meeting of the top brass of the tax department and its administrative authority, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), held in Delhi last month.

The principal chief commissioners and directors general of the I-T department apart from the CBDT chairman, members and officers were part of the meeting, they said.

The sources told PTI that finance minister Sitharaman directed the CBDT to "audit" the cases won or lost by the departme