u/lohith_789

​

Hi everyone,

I'm in a very difficult situation and would really appreciate some guidance.

A tax consultant filed my Income Tax Return on my behalf. Without my knowledge or consent, he claimed a ₹5 lakh donation deduction in my return. My case was later selected for scrutiny.

Instead of handling the scrutiny, he completely ignored every notice from the Income Tax Department. He also failed to submit supporting documents like my education loan certificate, Section 80C proofs, and other documents that I had shared with him.

As a result, I received a tax demand of around ₹4.5 lakh. I somehow managed to pay it by pledging my mother's gold at the bank. After repeatedly requesting and pleading with the consultant for almost two months, he finally reimbursed ₹2 lakh and assured me that he would take care of any penalty proceedings as well.

Now I have received a penalty notice under Section 270A demanding ₹7,79,038, and the consultant has completely stopped responding to my calls and messages.

I have WhatsApp chats showing that the ₹5 lakh donation was added without my knowledge or consent. I also have a video recording in which he claims that he paid a bribe to Income Tax officials to get the scrutiny case cleared.

To give some context, I lost my father three years ago, and just eight months later I lost my uncle as well. During that period, I was struggling with depression and had very little understanding of income tax filing. I am the first person in my family to file an ITR, so I trusted the consultant completely and never thought to verify every detail of the return.

I am currently the only earning member in my family. My brother is preparing for his MD exams and is not working yet, so I am responsible for supporting my family and his education. This penalty has completely shattered me. I haven't been able to sleep, I can't concentrate on my work anymore, and I feel like everything we've worked so hard to build is falling apart. Paying a penalty of nearly ₹8 lakh would put my family under immense financial hardship and undo years of struggle.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation?

Can this penalty be challenged?

Will the WhatsApp chats and video recording help prove that the false claim was made without my knowledge?

Can I take legal action against the tax consultant?

Should I immediately hire a Chartered Accountant or a tax lawyer?

I'm feeling completely lost right now, but I'm hoping someone who has gone through something similar can guide me. Any genuine advice or guidance would mean a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Hi everyone,

I'm in a very difficult situation and would really appreciate some guidance.

A tax consultant filed my Income Tax Return on my behalf. Without my knowledge or consent, he claimed a ₹5 lakh donation deduction in my return. My case was later selected for scrutiny.

Instead of handling the scrutiny, he completely ignored every notice from the Income Tax Department. He also failed to submit supporting documents like my education loan certificate, Section 80C proofs, and other documents that I had shared with him.

As a result, I received a tax demand of around ₹4.5 lakh. I somehow managed to pay it by pledging my mother's gold at the bank. After repeatedly requesting and pleading with the consultant for almost two months, he finally reimbursed ₹2 lakh and assured me that he would take care of any penalty proceedings as well.

Now I have received a penalty notice under Section 270A demanding ₹7,79,038, and the consultant has completely stopped responding to my calls and messages.

I have WhatsApp chats showing that the ₹5 lakh donation was added without my knowledge or consent. I also have a video recording in which he claims that he paid a bribe to Income Tax officials to get the scrutiny case cleared.

To give some context, I lost my father three years ago, and just eight months later I lost my uncle as well. During that period, I was struggling with depression and had very little understanding of income tax filing. I am the first person in my family to file an ITR, so I trusted the consultant completely and never thought to verify every detail of the return.

I am currently the only earning member in my family. My brother is preparing for his MD exams and is not working yet, so I am responsible for supporting my family and his education. This penalty has completely shattered me. I haven't been able to sleep, I can't concentrate on my work anymore, and I feel like everything we've worked so hard to build is falling apart. Paying a penalty of nearly ₹8 lakh would put my family under immense financial hardship and undo years of struggle.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation?

Can this penalty be challenged?

Will the WhatsApp chats and video recording help prove that the false claim was made without my knowledge?

Can I take legal action against the tax consultant?

Should I immediately hire a Chartered Accountant or a tax lawyer?

I'm feeling completely lost right now, but I'm hoping someone who has gone through something similar can guide me. Any genuine advice or guidance would mean a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

Hi everyone,

I'm in a very difficult situation and would really appreciate some guidance.

A tax consultant filed my Income Tax Return on my behalf. Without my knowledge or consent, he claimed a ₹5 lakh donation deduction in my return. My case was later selected for scrutiny.

Instead of handling the scrutiny, he completely ignored every notice from the Income Tax Department. He also failed to submit supporting documents like my education loan certificate, Section 80C proofs, and other documents that I had shared with him.

As a result, I received a tax demand of around ₹4.5 lakh. I somehow managed to pay it by pledging my mother's gold at the bank. After repeatedly requesting and pleading with the consultant for almost two months, he finally reimbursed ₹2 lakh and assured me that he would take care of any penalty proceedings as well.

Now I have received a penalty notice under Section 270A demanding ₹7,79,038, and the consultant has completely stopped responding to my calls and messages.

I have WhatsApp chats showing that the ₹5 lakh donation was added without my knowledge or consent. I also have a video recording in which he claims that he paid a bribe to Income Tax officials to get the scrutiny case cleared.

To give some context, I lost my father three years ago, and just eight months later I lost my uncle as well. During that period, I was struggling with depression and had very little understanding of income tax filing. I am the first person in my family to file an ITR, so I trusted the consultant completely and never thought to verify every detail of the return.

I am currently the only earning member in my family. My brother is preparing for his MD exams and is not working yet, so I am responsible for supporting my family and his education. This penalty has completely shattered me. I haven't been able to sleep, I can't concentrate on my work anymore, and I feel like everything we've worked so hard to build is falling apart. Paying a penalty of nearly ₹8 lakh would put my family under immense financial hardship and undo years of struggle.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation?

Can this penalty be challenged?

Will the WhatsApp chats and video recording help prove that the false claim was made without my knowledge?

Can I take legal action against the tax consultant?

Should I immediately hire a Chartered Accountant or a tax lawyer?

I'm feeling completely lost right now, but I'm hoping someone who has gone through something similar can guide me. Any genuine advice or guidance would mean a lot.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.