New Tax Bill: Are Your Online Accounts Now Fair Game

The income tax department may soon have the ability to look at people’s social media accounts, personal emails, bank information, and online trading accounts if they think someone is hiding money to avoid paying taxes. This is because a new income tax bill contains a rule that gives tax officials the power to get into these online spaces, even if they don’t have the passwords.

Officials can also physically break into locked doors, boxes, and safes to gather information as part of their investigation. The bill explains what “virtual digital space” means, which includes:

1. Email servers
2. Social media accounts
3. Online investment and trading accounts
4. Banking accounts
5. Websites that show ownership of assets
6. Cloud storage
7. Any similar online space

Who Can Access This Information?

The bill has a list of officials who can do this:

– Joint Director or Additional Director
– Joint Commissioner or Additional Commissioner
– Assistant Director or Deputy Director
– Assistant Commissioner or Deputy Commissioner
– Income Tax Officer or Tax Recovery Officer

Concerns About Privacy

Many experts are worried about the impact of this bill on people’s privacy. Prateek Bansal, an expert at a law firm, says that allowing tax officers to look at private emails and social media is a big concern for our right to privacy, a right protected by the Supreme Court. He mentions that people may be scared to express themselves online if they worry that their conversations are being watched.

Lawyer Sohail Hasan called the bill “groundbreaking and controversial,” saying it gives too much power to officials. Critics warn that this could lead to a serious invasion of privacy, allowing authorities to snoop on private information in the name of tax collection.

Ketan Mukhija, another legal expert, has called this bill a threat to personal freedom. He argues that there should be strict rules and checks in place to protect people from having their private online space invaded without good reason. In his view, without proper oversight, this could lead to unfair investigations rather than just tax collection.