A Delhi resident's tax ordeal has gone viral after he claimed to have paid ₹50,000 to a chartered accountant, only to discover the final amount under dispute was just Re 1.
Apoorv Jain took to X to share his frustration, revealing, “Paid 50,000/- fee to CA for an IT notice I received recently wherein the final disputed value turned out to be Re 1/-.”
His post saw a flurry of reactions, with many lamenting the complexities of filing taxes.
“I am not joking,” Jain added, clarifying for those who might doubt the authenticity of his claim.
Some users were astounded by the situation, while others criticized Jain for incurring such a high fee. “The state of this department is such that nothing looks like a joke anymore,” one user commented. Another quipped, “Bro, the joke is on you. Better check out the CA who charges 50k for anything.” Others called the fee structure absurd, with one user writing, “₹50,000 is too much.”
When the tax department reached out, Jain responded with pointed frustration: "Thank you for your concern graciously appearing when a complaint goes viral. I am intrigued as to what help you can even offer me now. You sent me a ridiculously inflated notice which I had to spend time and resources on to get corrected. It cost you nothing but put a dent in my bank account. Are you implying you have the power to compensate me for the losses I incurred? I know you don’t, but allow me to take this opportunity to suggest some improvements."
"I request you to overhaul your system to make it easier for all of us. We don’t need excessively complex rules that render us incapable of understanding them. We don’t need inflated notices that force us to do-over and pay exorbitant fees. We don’t need fear-mongering by officials who make us all feel like criminals."
In response to a user who speculated about the initial disputed amount, Jain clarified, “Several lakhs in the beginning.” This suggests the original notice indicated a much larger sum, prompting him to hire a CA.
Taxpayers can receive notices from the Income Tax department for various reasons, such as discrepancies in filed returns, failure to disclose high-value transactions, or requests for additional documents. Paying attention to every detail while e-filing your ITR is crucial for a smooth experience. With tax regimes, deductions, and benefits evolving each year, keeping track is essential for filers.
"Filing an income tax return isn't easy for everyone. For those unfamiliar with tax policies and schemes, it can be a very complex and tedious process. That's why many people turn to professionals for assistance," says Vikas Dahiya, Director of All India ITR.