Kamal Ghorui
The Income Tax Department disposed of 2.22 lakh appeals in the last financial year, marking a 29% increase over the previous fiscal as part of efforts to reduce disputes and improve taxpayer services, PTI reported.CBDT chairman Ravi Agrawal, in a letter to officials, said actions in the current fiscal (2026-27) should be “guided” by data, “proportionate” and aligned with the goal of a “fair and efficient” tax system.He said the department has “significantly” strengthened the use of data analytics and intelligence-driven approaches to identify risks and guide enforcement.Agrawal noted that “theme-based” investigations were undertaken to address issues such as incorrect claims of deductions and suppression of business receipts.According to official data, 2,22,540 appeals were disposed of in 2025-26, compared to 1,72,361 in 2024-25, reflecting a growth of 29.11%.Of the 1,51,239 legacy appeals pending at the beginning of the year, 50,654 cases were cleared through a “special drive”, reinforcing the department’s “commitment” to bringing “certainty” to the tax system.As a result, carry-forward pendency of legacy appeals declined by 33.49% compared to the previous year.The department also disposed of 72,933 grievances during the fiscal, with an average resolution time of 47 days.Additionally, 1,32,125 rectification applications were processed and 5,68,621 orders giving effect (OGEs) were issued.Overall, more than 10.26 lakh cases were disposed of across OGEs, rectifications and grievance redressal, leading to a reduction of Rs 12,33,469 crore in outstanding demand, officials said.Agrawal said about 1.56 lakh trusts were granted registrations and re-registrations, with many brought into the digital system from paper records.The department also signed 219 advance pricing agreements (APAs), up 25.86% from 174 in the previous fiscal, aimed at providing certainty in transfer pricing.He said 2026 holds “special significance” with the rollout of the new Income Tax Act, 2025 and Income Tax Rules, 2026, which aim to enhance ease of compliance while strengthening a non-intrusive, data-driven tax administration.
