By CA Jatin Minocha
According to sources, the tax department has accessed the entire passenger data captured on the Digi Yatra app, and the same is being reconciled with tax filings to check for discrepancies in the declared income. The tax department would start issuing notices in 2025 based on the Digi Yatra data, said sources.
Digi Yatra app is a civil aviation ministry led initiative to make air traveller’s journey seamless and paperless. It uses facial recognition technology, and collects passengers ID, biometrics, and details of air tickets to give easy access at airports. It is, however, not mandatory for fliers to download or use the app.
According to sources, the tax department will first go after those who don’t file tax returns, and then target those who under-report their income to avoid paying taxes.
Digi Yatra data holds immense potential as an alternative to the government’s earlier attempts to gather travel data through loyalty pro-grammes of air travel companies, a move constrained by privacy concerns.
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