By Shaghil Bilali

Copyright indiatimes

Frustrated with the issues that chartered accountants and taxpayers faced while filing ITR, the Income Tax Practitioners Association from Amritsar has voiced its concerns regarding the technical glitches plaguing the Income Tax e-filing portal. The tax body has urged the Finance Ministry to take swift and decisive action to rectify the situation, or they will proceed to file a writ petition in the court.Income Tax GuideIncome Tax Slabs FY 2025-26Income Tax Calculator 2025New Income Tax Bill 2025 The Amritsar body president, Gaurav Gupta, told ET Wealth online that if demands are not met, the Amritsar association, along with Jalandhar, Chandigarh and a few more bodies from Punjab, will file a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, requesting it to order the Finance Ministry to resolve e-portal issues. “Income tax practitioners faced several challenges during the ITR filing season. The work was disturbed severely because of technical issues on the ITR e-portal. We have demanded that the Finance Ministry find the root cause of these problems and take immediate action. If demands are not met, we, along with other tax associations from Punjab, such as Jalandhar and Chandigarh, will file a writ petition in the Punjab and Haryana High Court to intervene and order the Finance Ministry to implement our suggestions,” said Gupta. In its letter, the Amritsar body has highlighted many issues practitioners faced in the build-up to the September 16 ITR filing deadline. The concerns raised in the letter are- Technical glitches and system instabilityThe portal is rife with technical errors, including slow loading times, frequent crashes, and server timeouts. These issues are particularly prevalent during peak filing periods, making it virtually impossible to complete filings efficiently. Inaccurate data and functionalityThere are numerous instances of inaccurate pre-filled data, non-functional utilities, and inconsistent calculations. This forces practitioners to manually verify every detail, negating the supposed benefits of a digital system and increasing the risk of errors. Non-responsiveness of helpdesksThe taxpayer and practitioner helpdesks are largely unresponsive and unhelpful. Queries are often left unresolved for extended periods, and the provided solutions are frequently generic or ineffective, leaving users in a state of limbo. Ineffective resolution of grievancesDespite numerous representations and formal complaints lodged by our association and other professional bodies, the issues persist. The lack of tangible improvement suggests a deep-seated administrative and technical neglect of the platform. Adverse impact on complianceThe portal’s dysfunction directly impedes timely tax compliance. Practitioners and taxpayers are unable to meet deadlines, leading to unnecessary penalties and interest. This places a disproportionate and unjust burden on those who are trying to comply with their legal obligations. The Amritsar body has also demanded the Finance Ministry take quick action to resolve the above-mentioned problems. Its demands are- A comprehensive system auditConduct an immediate and thorough technical audit of the portal by an independent and competent third party. The findings of this audit should be made public. Establish a grievance redressal mechanismCreate a dedicated, high-level task force with a clear mandate and a strict timeline to address and resolve all pending technical issues and grievances. This task force should include representatives from professional associations. Extension of deadlinesGiven the ongoing difficulties, all statutory deadlines for filing returns, forms, and other compliance activities should be extended until the portal is fully functional and stable. AccountabilityThe government should hold the responsible parties, including the portal’s developers and administrators, accountable for the prolonged and unaddressed failures. Conclusion We reiterate that this order is not an act of defiance but an urgent plea for administrative efficiency and justice. The current state of the Income Tax portal is not just a technical problem; it is a failure of public service. We urge the concerned authorities to treat this matter with the seriousness it deserves and to act with a sense of urgency.