31 March
Sandeep Dhand Ludhiana
The Congress party has once again found itself embroiled in a tax dispute as the Income Tax Department has issued a fresh notice, demanding a staggering sum of Rs 1,745 crore for the assessment years 2014-15 to 2016-17, sources revealed on Sunday. This adds to the cumulative demand of Rs 3,567 crore that the party faces from the tax authorities.
The latest notices, according to sources, are related to the assessment years 2014-15 (approximately Rs 663 crore), 2015-16 (approximately Rs 664 crore), and 2016-17 (approximately Rs 417 crore). The tax department’s move comes amidst the abolition of tax exemptions for political parties, leading to the imposition of party tax.
Furthermore, the Congress has also been taxed for ‘third party entries’ found in diaries seized during raids on some Congress leaders by investigating agencies. The party had previously disclosed receiving a notice for around Rs 1,823 crore, with Rs 135 crore already withdrawn from its accounts for tax demands from previous years.
In response, the Congress has taken legal recourse, approaching the court regarding the tax demand of Rs 135 crore. However, despite attempts to seek relief from the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal and the High Court, the party’s efforts have not yielded any favorable outcome, with the matter set to be heard in the Supreme Court on Monday.