📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Daniel VILLAFRUELA
Crime
Haryana Tax Tribunal Gives ₹85.93 Lakh Taxpayer One More Chance, Orders Planting of 500 Trees
✍️ livemint.com
🗓 22 Aug 2026, 05:36 AM
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A Haryana tax tribunal has allowed a taxpayer who deposited ₹85.93 lakh during the demonetisation period to avoid penalty by planting 500 trees, offering a ‘one more chance’ under the order.
The Haryana tax tribunal has intervened in a case involving a taxpayer who had deposited ₹85.93 lakh in cash during the 2016 demonetisation drive. The amount, flagged as a potential violation, was under scrutiny by tax authorities for non‑compliance.
In its ruling, the tribunal granted the taxpayer a final opportunity to regularise the matter by mandating the planting of 500 trees. The condition is presented as a ‘one more chance’ to avoid the imposition of a hefty penalty that would otherwise be levied for the undisclosed cash.
The decision underscores the authorities' willingness to blend punitive measures with corrective actions, aiming to promote environmental stewardship while ensuring tax compliance. It also signals to other taxpayers that remedial steps, such as community‑benefiting projects, may be considered in lieu of strict financial sanctions.
Legal experts note that while the order is unusual, it reflects a broader trend of courts seeking balanced resolutions in tax disputes, especially those linked to the demonetisation era.
The case remains under observation, and any further non‑compliance could trigger conventional penalties as prescribed under Indian tax law.
In its ruling, the tribunal granted the taxpayer a final opportunity to regularise the matter by mandating the planting of 500 trees. The condition is presented as a ‘one more chance’ to avoid the imposition of a hefty penalty that would otherwise be levied for the undisclosed cash.
The decision underscores the authorities' willingness to blend punitive measures with corrective actions, aiming to promote environmental stewardship while ensuring tax compliance. It also signals to other taxpayers that remedial steps, such as community‑benefiting projects, may be considered in lieu of strict financial sanctions.
Legal experts note that while the order is unusual, it reflects a broader trend of courts seeking balanced resolutions in tax disputes, especially those linked to the demonetisation era.
The case remains under observation, and any further non‑compliance could trigger conventional penalties as prescribed under Indian tax law.