Income Tax Dept Sends Fresh ₹1,745 Cr Notice To Congress, Total Rises To ₹3,600 Cr

New Delhi: In a significant setback for the financially strained Congress party, reports confirm that it has received new tax notices from the Income Tax department, totalling a demand of Rs 1,745 crore for the assessment years spanning from 2014-15 to 2016-17.

This development compounds the existing tax demand on the Congress, which now stands at a staggering Rs 3,567 crore. The recent notices specifically target the years 2014-15 (Rs 663 crore), 2015-16 (approximately Rs 664 crore), and 2016-17 (around Rs 417 crore), as disclosed by party sources. Notably, political parties’ tax exemptions have been discontinued, resulting in taxation of the entire proceeds.

Furthermore, the Congress finds itself taxed for “third-party entries” documented in diaries seized from its leaders during official investigations. The party has confirmed receiving notices from the Income Tax department, amounting to around Rs 1,823 crore, with Rs 135 crore already debited from its accounts to cover previous tax liabilities.

The Congress has pursued legal recourse against the Rs 135-crore tax demand, with the case slated for hearing in the Supreme Court on Monday after facing setbacks in lower courts. Party leaders argue discriminatory practices, pointing out that similar third-party entries implicating BJP leaders have not incurred taxation.

Accusing the ruling BJP of engaging in “tax terrorism” and sabotaging their financial standing ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Congress has lodged complaints with the Election Commission. They assert that such actions disrupt the electoral playing field and demand intervention to ensure fairness.