Question : AUDIT COMMISSIONERATES

(a) Whether the Government has set up audit commissionerates across the country to audit accounts of companies and survey their other operations to detect any tax evasion;

(b) If so, the details thereof;

(c) the amount collected during 2013-14 and this 2014-15 upto December through non-intrusive audits;

(d) the nature of picking of cases by commissionerates; and

(e) whether the government has framed any guidelines in this regard so that the officials do not misuse the special audit powers, and if so, the details thereof?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI JAYANT SINHA)

(a) & (b): Yes Sir.The government has set up 45 audit commissionerates of Central Excise and Service Tax across the country to verify the payment of these taxes by assesses. The audit function was earlier carried out by officers of jurisdictional commissionerates. The audit is carried out in an interactive and cooperative manner under prior intimation to the assessee. These audit officers do not carry out any surveys or raids to detect tax evasion. The Audit Commissionerates have started functioning from 15th October 2014.

(c): The amount collected (Central Excise and Service Tax) through audits are as under:

 S. No.	Period	No. of Audits Conducted	Total Recovery (Rs. in Crores) 1.	2013-14	41912	3725 2.	(2014-15) up	23171	1653	to Dec. 2014