HYDERABAD: The Telangana high court has pulled up the income tax department for repeatedly violating provisions of the Finance Acts of 2020 and 2021 by initiating reassessment proceedings under the Income Tax Act without adhering to the mandatory ‘faceless assessment’ procedure.A division bench comprising Justices P Sam Koshy and Narsing Rao Nandikonda made these observations while quashing reassessment notices issued to BJP leader and Armoor MLA Paidi Rakesh Reddy for the assessment year 2025-26.Taking serious note of the department’s conduct, the bench observed that despite several judgments invalidating similar reassessment notices, the I-T department continues to act through jurisdictional officers rather than following the faceless mechanism mandated under sections 148A and 148 of the Act.“This continued disregard of settled legal precedent not only undermines the law but leads to avoidable litigation,” the bench said.The court referred to its earlier ruling in the Kankanala Ravindra Reddy case (Sept 2023), where it held that reassessment actions initiated without following proper procedure are both procedurally flawed and jurisdictionally invalid. “A considerable period has passed since that decision, yet we see no corrective steps taken by the department,” the bench said.It also highlighted that over 700 similar petitions are now pending before the court due to the department’s continued non-compliance.While the I-T department has filed special leave petitions (SLPs) in the Supreme Court challenging such orders, the bench pointed out that no stay or interim relief has been granted in those cases. It further criticised the department for attempting to prolong proceedings in the high court, potentially to buy time to reinitiate proceedings under new provisions.
