The Income Tax (IT) department continued its surveys on Wednesday at the offices of BBC in Delhi and Mumbai for the second day. On Tuesday, the IT department conducted a survey at the offices of British broadcasting media in the nation’s capital, Delhi and Mumbai with a view of outlet’s “deliberate non-compliance” with the Transfer pricing rules and its vast diversion of profits.
On Tuesday, February 14, the official’s arrived at the offices of BBC located at the KG Marg and Mumbai’s Kalina Santacruz for the survey. In the case of BBC, sources revealed that has been persistent non-compliance with the transfer pricing rules for years which makes them the repeat offender.
As a result, several notices have been issued to the media outlet, however, the outlet has been continuously defiant and non-complaint, and has significantly diverted its profits, the sources added. The sources also revealed that the above mentioned exercise conducted by the Tax Authorities is called “Survey,” not the search or raid, as per the provisions of IT Act.
These surveys are conducted routinely and not to be confused to be in the nature of search or raid, sources added. The main focus of these surveys is to look into the manipulation of prices for unauthorised benefits, including tax advantages.
The development comes weeks after BBC released a documentary on the P.M. Modi, titled “India: The Modi Quiestion,” that stirred up a controversy. Meanwhile, the centre had issued the directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts of the outlet linking it with the controversial documentary of the platform.