6-month jail for not filing ITR: A consequence faced for not filing income tax return

A Delhi woman had to pay a heavy price for not filing an ITR (income tax return) for the assessment year 2014-15, which she was supposed to file. A Delhi court sentenced her to six months in jail for failing to file the tax return on an income of Rs 2 crore.

According to the Times of India, Rs 2 lakh was deducted as TDS (tax deducted at source) from the receipt of Rs 2 crore, but the woman did not file any income tax return, a complaint from the Income Tax Office (ITO) revealed.

Court of Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Mayank Mittal sentenced the woman and said, “The convict is awarded a sentence of simple imprisonment for six months with a fine of Rs 5,000 in default to undergo simple imprisonment for one month.”

However, the court later granted her 30 days’ bail to challenge the order after considering her bail application.

The woman's lawyer contended that his client was uneducated and had little knowledge about ITR. She was reportedly a widow with no one to support her.

Worth mentioning, that the last date to file ITR for the relevant financial year is July 31.