Notices Issued Under the Income Tax Act

You may be surprised to receive an intimation/notice from the income tax department even if you have filed your income tax returns within the due date. You would not be sure about what it is and how to respond to it. Don’t worry, we will break it down for you to help you understand your notices in detail.

First and foremost, it is important that you understand the difference between an intimation and a notice. There is a very thin line of difference between the two. Intimation is to highlight the outcome of the processing of your return or conclusion of assessment, and you may not be required to act upon it (although there are a few exceptions to it).

However, when you receive a notice, it requires you to act on it. Recently, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has notified a new scheme known as Centralized Communication Scheme (CCS). The scheme states that, gradually, all communications will happen in an electronic mode.

Every communication by the Income Tax Department (ITD) on or after 1st October 2019 shall bear a unique Document Identification Number (DIN).