So what happened in the meet between Infosys and Finance Ministry?

Have you been struggling with the New IT Portal? Well, you might not be the only one. Since the day of the launch, the New IT portal has been receiving mixed reactions. While some appreciated its swanky and new user-friendly interface, others expressed their concerns over their inability to use the features of the portal effectively.

Why was the meeting summoned by the Finance Minister?

These concerns of the taxpayers didn’t go unnoticed by the Finance Minister. She took to Twitter to address the grievances of the people and encouraged Infosys and Nandan Nilekani (Infosys CEO), the force behind the new portal to look into this issue at the earliest.

The @IncomeTaxIndia came through by launching the portal by 7th June 💯

But, let’s accept that things take time to be perfect!💫

Awaiting for the portal to work so we can finally check out the amazing new features 😍#NewPortal #incometaxportal #IncomeTaxReturn https://t.co/RDEZ7njJA4

— Quicko (@HowToQuicko) June 8, 2021

However, the taxpayers still expressed their struggle with the new IT portal and continued to flag their issues on social media and on other platforms as well.

Realising the gravity of the situation, the Finance Minister convened a meeting with the stakeholders on 22nd June 2021. Taxpayers were encouraged to submit their grievances and recommendations regarding the New IT Portal online by 18th June 2021. The ministry received about 700 emails and 90 unique issues.

What Happened in the Meeting?

The Finance Minister emphasized that better taxpayer service is indeed a priority and consistent steps must be taken to enhance the same.

FM Sitharaman expressed her concerns over the grievances faced by the taxpayers and urged Infosys to make the portal more “humane and user-friendly.”

Infosys acknowledged the issues that the taxpayers were facing on the portal. They informed that they were constantly working on fixing these issues. A lot of these issues have already been fixed and the rest will also be taken care of within a week’s time.

The Finance Minister lauded the taxpayers for their active engagement and participation. She also appreciated them for complying with timelines like Advance Tax payment, TDS return filing despite the pandemic.
The commitment of the people towards paying taxes was reflected in the year’s direct tax collection.
The Gross collection of Direct Taxes showed a growth of 57.1%!

What lies ahead?

FM Sitharaman encouraged the “positive engagement between taxpayers, tax professionals and the Government .” She expected this kind of transparency and accountability to continue in the future.

This meeting was definitely an important event for taxpayers trying to access the new portal. But more than that it was a significant event for holding up the tenants of transparency and accountability.

It is very encouraging to see the IT department’s commitment to provide a better and smoother user experience to Taxpayers through the new portal. Hopefully, the wait will be over soon and we will be able to see and experience the new portal in all its glory.