ArdorComm Media News Network
July 23, 2026
The Income Tax Department is functioning with a shortage of 26,997 officers and support staff as of January 1, 2026, the government informed Parliament on Monday.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary said vacancies across Group A, B and C posts currently stand at 26,997. He noted that filling vacancies is an ongoing process and appointments are made regularly through direct recruitment by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), as well as through departmental promotions in accordance with recruitment rules.
The minister also highlighted that the New Income Tax Act, 2025 has simplified tax laws by removing outdated provisions, restructuring the legislation and making it easier to understand. He added that the government is modernising tax administration through digital technologies, including simplified return filing, quicker processing, data analytics and faceless assessments.
Responding to another query, Chaudhary said 11 individuals have been declared Fugitive Economic Offenders (FEOs) under the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018, since 2024. Properties worth ₹1,303.16 crore linked to these offenders have been confiscated.
He further informed the House that Red Notices have been issued against eight of the offenders, while extradition requests have been sent for four individuals whose locations have been identified. Additionally, 12 Mutual Legal Assistance Requests (MLARs) have been submitted to facilitate international cooperation.
The minister said the government has taken steps to return confiscated assets to legitimate victims of economic offences. So far, properties valued at around ₹73,015.03 crore have been restored, with restitution amounts reaching ₹15,262.30 crore in FY 2024–25, ₹32,677.97 crore in FY 2025–26, and ₹9,873.11 crore during FY 2026–27 up to the present.
In a separate response, Chaudhary said net private transfers, primarily remittances sent home by Indians working overseas, increased from $124.6 billion in 2024–25 to $144.8 billion in 2025–26, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s Balance of Payments data. He added that monthly net transfers rose from $9.4 billion in April 2025 to $16 billion in April 2026, despite the impact of ongoing global conflicts.
Source: PTI