Income-tax Dept. eases rule for digital signatures of taxpayers

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For easing the process of authentication of electronic records for taxpayers in faceless assessment proceedings, the Government has amended Income-tax Rules, 1962 vide a notification dated 6th September, 2021.</p>
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The amended Rules provide that electronic records submitted through the registered account of taxpayers in the Income-tax Department’s portal shall be deemed to have been authenticated by the taxpayer by electronic verification code (EVC), the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said in an official statement on Tuesday.  </p>
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Therefore, where a person submits an electronic record by logging into his registered account in the designated portal of the Income-tax Department, it shall be deemed that the electronic record has been authenticated by EVC for the purposes of section 144B(7)(i)(b) of the Income-tax Act.</p>
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However, under the existing provisions of section 144B(7)(i)(b) of the Act, this simplified process of authentication by EVC is not available to certain persons (such as companies, tax audit cases, etc.) and they are mandatorily required to authenticate the electronic records by digital signature.</p>
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In order to provide the benefit of the simplified process of authentication by EVC to these persons, it has been decided to extend the simplified process of authentication by EVC to these persons also.</p>
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Hence, the persons who are mandatorily required to authenticate electronic records by digital signature shall be deemed to have authenticated the electronic records when they submit the record through their registered account in the Income-tax Department’s portal. Legislative amendments in this regard shall be proposed in due course, the statement added.</p>