CBDT Chief Urges Faceless Officers to Avoid Irrelevant Tax Queries

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) Chairman Ravi Agarwal has issued strict directives to Faceless Assessment Officers (FAOs) to avoid raising irrelevant queries while conducting faceless assessments, emphasizing the need for more focused and case-specific scrutiny procedures.

- TBG NETWORK

Chairman Ravi Agarwal has written to the Principal Chief Commissioners of Income Tax, directing them to ensure that faceless assessment officers maintain higher standards of inquiry relevance and specificity in their assessments.

The CBDT, which serves as the apex body of the Income Tax Department, has released comprehensive guidelines for the compulsory selection of Income Tax Returns (ITRs) for scrutiny during the Financial Year 2025-26.

The directive comes as notices under Section 143(2) are being issued for cases selected through the Computer Assisted Scrutiny Selection (CASS) cycle.

According to the letter accessed by ANI, initial notices under Section 143(2) are being issued for cases selected based on prescribed parameters and procedures outlined in the new guidelines.