In total, the Income Tax office has so far asked the Congress party to cough up ₹3,567 crore. The Congress party has received fresh notices from the Income Tax department with tax demand amounting to over ₹1745 crore. This comes days after the department demanded over ₹1823 crore in taxes from the party. The fresh tax notices are linked to the assessment years 2014-15 to 2016-17, reported PTI. In total, the Income Tax office has so far asked the Congress party to cough up ₹3,567 crore in taxes. The news agency, quoting sources, reported that the fresh income tax notices are linked to the years 2014-15 ( ₹663 crore), 2015-16 (around ₹664 crore) and 2016-17 (around ₹417 crore).The sources said the tax demand had been calculated over the entire collections after having ended tax exemptions to political parties. The department has also taxed the Congress for “third-party entries”. These entries were made in diaries allegedly seized from some of its leaders during raids. On Friday, the Congress had received notices from the department, seeking a whopping amount of ₹1823 crore in taxes. The tax authorities have already withdrawn ₹135 crore from the party’s accounts for a tax demand relating to previous years. Last week, Congress treasurer Ajay Maken claimed that the BJP committed significant tax violations. He said using the same yardsticks, the BJP was liable to pay ₹4600 crore in taxes. “We have analysed all violations of the BJP using the same parameters they used to analyse our violations. BJP has a penalty of ₹4600 crore. The income tax department should raise demand from the BJP for the payment of this amount,” Ajay Maken said. He further alleged that the Congress and other like-minded opposition parties are being selectively targeted by the I-T department. The Congress accused the BJP of what it called tax terrorism and said the government wants to cripple the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
