Transforming tax filing in India
TCS guides India’s Income Tax Department onto the digital highway, widens the taxpayer base
At TCS, we don’t just help businesses transform. We help them become perpetually adaptive enterprises, built to evolve continuously and confidently in a world of constant change.
Whether it’s running a marathon or helping businesses thrive in applying new technology innovations at scale, we understand what it takes to keep pushing the limits of what’s possible.
Through studies, reports and points of view, we deliver forward-looking, practical insights on key issues at the intersection of business and tech.
At TCS, we believe exceptional work begins with hiring, celebrating and nurturing the best people — from all walks of life.
Get access to a catalog of the latest news stories from across TCS. Discover our press releases, reports, and company announcements.
At TCS, we help enterprises grow through innovative solutions globally. Adapt and thrive with us.
Public Services / case study
TCS guides India’s Income Tax Department onto the digital highway, widens the taxpayer base
You have these already downloaded
We have sent you a copy of the report to your email again.
The Department of Income Tax under Ministry of Finance, Government of India, is responsible for enforcing taxation policies laid down by the government. A legacy setup marked by data silos, paper-based applications, and manual processes was making it rather difficult for the department to function effectively, with taxpayers and officials having to invest a disproportionate amount of time and effort in the tax filing process.
The department was looking for a comprehensive digital platform to improve the filing process and widen the tax base. Such a platform would house all statutory and regulatory guidelines in one place to ensure full transparency and visibility to all stakeholders. The department sought a mechanism to digitally verify returns and drive all communication and interactions through a single window. Other key requirements were to streamline the process of applying for and issuing instant PAN cards – Permanent Account Number for tax identity, and ensure tight integration with various sub-systems and banks.
TCS embarked on this transformation program in 2012, and by 2020, the IT department’s portal had over 100 features. While a 15% tax payer base used to file their returns electronically, that figure had zoomed to 85% by the end of FY21. All IT forms (basic and statutory) were digitized and available online.
This was one of the largest legacy modernization and system integration projects implemented by TCS and called for data migration of 25 million registered users and 52 million IT returns. TCS implemented a series of solutions to completely revamp the tax filing process from multiple perspectives. On a high-level, the following activities were carried out:
The feature-rich e-filing portal, integrated with the systems of various government departments and banks, has made report filing and assessment a lot more convenient and transparent for all the stakeholders. Be it the single-window, online grievance management system called e-Nivaran, or the electronic verification system for IT returns, this new way of filing taxes has been received very well by the Indian public. The integration of PAN with Aadhar has been instrumental in keeping identity fraud at bay and enhancing the transparency of the overall process.
TCS successfully completed this large-scale digital transformation program in about 15 months and handed over the operations and support to another vendor of the Income Tax Department in October 2020.
TCS Intelligent Urban Exchange solution provides connected and intelligent environments and promotes safe and sustainable living. Learn more.
The cloud-based solution helps states meet US PFML legislation demands and enables effective decision-making and fraud prevention for better worker support.
How TCS Transformed Kansas’ Unemployment Insurance System
Early Intervention crucial to addressing developmental disability
TCS helps government transform labor and workforce services
Delivering holistic and enhanced Health and Human Services Capabilities
Ready to transform public services and enhance the citizen experience?
Talk to our experts