By Vineet Dikshit

NewsGate Press Network

In what could be termed as a hugely miscalculated step, 40 Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officials thought that Prime Minister Modi will reward them for proposing tax hikes to mop-up funds to fight COVID crisis, instead they got a big ‘royal knuckle’.

A 43-page report, curiously titled as  F.O.R.C.E. (Fiscal Options & Response to Covid-19 Epidemic) has been spiked before its contents could spark unwelcome reactions from the industry.

According to a senior IRS official, by naming the report ‘F.O.R.C.E’, officials could not properly read the prevailing mood neither in the PMO or in the Finance Ministry.

By one look at the document, it is apparent that the IRS Association took great pains to prepare their recommendations for the Finance Ministry by suggesting ways and means to raise funds to fight COVID19 pandemic crisis.

“We thought they would love it. The ministry likes acronyms (by naming it FORCE). Perhaps this was not the moment”, stated a retired IRS official speaking on anonymity.

The report was formally released by IRS Association’s twitter handle, and after facing strong backlash, the Association has disowned it.

FORCE had recommended hiking tax slab for the super-rich, a Covid-19 cess, amnesty scheme for undisputed tax demands and re-introduction of inheritance tax.

Also the IRS Association report proposed either raising highest income tax slab rate to 40% for those earning over Rs 1 crore or re-introducing wealth tax for those with net wealth of Rs 5 crores or more.

Within hours of this miss-adventure, the Finance Ministry sources informed media persons that this act has been termed as ‘gross indiscipline’ and written explanation sought from these officials.