Demonetisation: Rs 3-4 lakh crore tax-evaded income deposited in banks

It has come to light that Rs 25,000 cr cash was deposited in dormant bank accounts while nearly Rs 80,000 cr of repayment of loans was done in cash since November 8

As it analyses bank deposits post demonetisation, the government has found that an estimated Rs 3-4 lakh crore of tax-evaded income could have been deposited during 50-day window provided to get rid of junked Rs 500/1000 notes.

A senior official said Income Tax Department has been asked to scrutinise details and send notices to depositors of Rs 3-4 lakh crore on which tax could have been evaded.

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"We now have trunkloads of data, analysis of which shows that more than Rs 2 lakh was deposited in over 60 lakh bank accounts post demonetisation. The total amount deposited in these accounts is more than Rs 7.34 lakh crore," he said.

More than Rs 10,700 crore cash was deposited in different accounts in the North Eastern states since November 9, he said adding the Income Tax Department and the Enforcement Directorate are looking into over Rs 16,000 crore deposited in different accounts of cooperative banks.

Also, it has come to light that Rs 25,000 cr cash was deposited in dormant bank accounts while nearly Rs 80,000 cr of repayment of loans was done in cash since November 8, 2016 when the government demonetised old 500 and 1000 rupee notes.

Holders of the old currency were given an option to exchange or deposit them in bank accounts untill December 30.

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"Starting from November 8, 2016 various reports were called for from the banks based on different threshold of cash deposits made by different categories of persons. The reports were collated and analysed based on intelligence which has been available in the Government data bases," the official said.

After in-depth analysis, these reports have been disseminated to Income Tax Department, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and other law enforcement agencies.

Of the 60 lakh bank accounts that saw more than Rs 2 lakh of cash deposits, more than 6.80 lakh accounts have found matches in the existing database of various reports available with the government.

"These have been flagged while disseminating to I-T Department," he said adding the details of cash deposits totalling to more than Rs 10,700 crore in different accounts in the North-Eastern states have also been disseminated.

Also, I-T Department and ED have been provided with the details of cash deposits of more than Rs 16,000 crore in different accounts of various cooperative banks.

The deposits of more than Rs 13,000 crore in Regional Rural Banks have also been disseminated.

Besides, "cash deposits in terrorist affected states have also been disseminated to the concerned law enforcement agencies and appropriate actions have been taken in such cases," he said.

Photograph: PTI Photo