Income Tax Department Running Short of 26,997 Officers and Support Staff

The Central Government has acknowledged an ongoing manpower crunch within the Income Tax Department. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary revealed that as of January 1 this year, a total of 26,997 posts remain vacant across Group-A, Group-B, and Group-C categories. However, he clarified that these vacancies are being actively filled in a phased manner through direct recruitments conducted by the UPSC and SSC, as well as through departmental promotions.

Technology-Driven Tax Reforms
Despite the significant staff shortage, the government emphasized its commitment to enhancing systemic efficiency by heavily relying on technology. To streamline operations and simplify compliance, the department is implementing major structural reforms. These include the rollout of the new Income Tax Act, 2025, the introduction of simplified tax regulations, faceless assessments, advanced data analytics, and end-to-end digital tax processing. The Minister made it clear that while recruitment is ongoing, the immediate focus is on boosting operational capacity through robust digital infrastructure.

Accelerated Action Against Economic Offenders
Responding to another query regarding financial crimes, the Minister highlighted that the government has significantly accelerated its crackdown on economic offenders. Since 2024, 11 individuals have been officially declared as ‘Fugitive Economic Offenders,’ resulting in the confiscation of their assets worth ₹1,303 crore. Providing further relief to those impacted by financial frauds, the government has so far successfully returned assets totaling over ₹73,015 crore to the respective victims and lawful claimants.