Income Declaration Scheme: I-T offices to remain open till midnight on Sept 30

New Delhi: The taxman will undertake a midnight vigil on September 30 as CBDT has directed the Income Tax department to keep their offices country-wide open in order to receive declarations under the domestic black money window - the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS).

"The last date for making declaration under the IDS, 2016 is September 30, 2016 and hence the declarations can be filed till the midnight of that day.

"In order to facilitate the filing of declarations even after the office hours, the Principal Chief Commissioners are instructed to ensure that the counters for receiving the declarations under IDS, 2016 remain open till the midnight of September 30, 2016 in all jurisdictions," the CBDT said in an order today.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is the policy-making body of the I-T department.

Officials said the orders have been received by the tax offices in the country and have been issued after a decision in this regard was approved by the CBDT Chairperson.

CBDT boss Rani Singh Nair will also hold a review meeting in this regard on September 17 along with all the I-T regional chiefs of the country.

The government today again made it clear that all information and declarations that the I-T department receives till September 30 under IDS will be kept "confidential and shall not be shared" and has suggested that such declarations can also be made online using the e-filing website of the department.

The CBDT, while issuing its sixth clarification on the IDS recently, had ruled out any extension of the four-month window that ends on September 30.