JAMMU: M P Singh, a 1990 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, has been promoted to the position of Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, effective from 01.04.2024, by the Department of Personnel & Training and Central Board of Direct Taxes, New Delhi.
Singh previously served as Principal Commissioner of Income Tax in J&K and Ladakh for the past two and a half years. He has contributed meritorious services to J&K, serving as Deputy Commissioner from 1993 to 1999, Commissioner (Appeals), Jammu from 2018 to 2021, and later as the first Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Srinagar. He is expected to continue in his role as Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, J&K, and Ladakh until his superannuation.
Throughout his career, Singh has held various positions in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, North Bengal/Sikkim, Gujarat, and Delhi, where he handled Supreme Court matters for the Income Tax Department. Notably, he played a crucial role in conducting Parliament elections in Baramula and Budgam districts in 1996, leading over 250 departmental teams from the northwest region and Delhi. Singh is recognized for his social initiatives and outreach programs aimed at environmental awareness and plantation drives.
Upon assuming the position of Chief Commissioner, Singh has urged his officers to address long-pending grievances of taxpayers in J&K and Ladakh by organizing camps in each district and major towns. He has directed officers to release bank accounts of small businessmen and salaried individuals where in-fructuous demands were created during assessments, leading to account attachments by the department for recovery of outstanding tax demands.
Singh has emphasized the importance of maintaining accurate accounts and paying income tax correctly, as the department possesses comprehensive knowledge and data of taxpayers’ turnover and financial transactions. He has also called upon Chartered Accountants and tax professionals in J&K to raise awareness among taxpayers, including salaried individuals, by organizing regular seminars and workshops in colleges, universities, hospitals, government departments, police, paramilitary organizations, and other institutions. This initiative aims to promote financial discipline and disseminate information on the latest tax provisions to prevent taxpayers from falling prey to misinformation or inaccurate filing.
