Small-Town Barber in Haryana Receives Shocking ₹37.87 Crore Tax Notice

Rakesh Kumar, a small-time barber from Ali Mohammad village in Sirsa district of Haryana, has received an income tax notice demanding a staggering ₹37.87 crore in tax payments.

Kumar, who has been operating his modest salon near Dera Sacha Sauda for the past decade, was absent from his shop when a postal worker delivered the official envelope on March 29. A neighboring shopkeeper received the letter and handed it to Kumar upon his return.

"When I opened the envelope with my name on it, everything inside was written in English," explained Kumar, who has only studied until the fifth grade. Unable to understand the contents, he sought help from an acquaintance who revealed the shocking news – the Income Tax Department was demanding ₹37,87,61,561 from him. The news left Kumar in complete disbelief. "I only earn about ₹500 per day, which is barely enough to support my family," he said. At first, Kumar assumed the notice must be intended for someone else, but his acquaintance confirmed that the document correctly listed both his name and his father's name.

What makes the case particularly perplexing is that the notice, reportedly issued by the Ministry of Finance's Income Tax Department in Sirsa, correctly includes Kumar's PAN number. The department has requested a response by April 9, leaving the barber and his family in a state of panic. 

"I don't know what to do or how to respond," Kumar said, visibly distressed by the situation. The amount demanded exceeds his lifetime earnings by an astronomical margin, raising questions about potential clerical errors or identity mix-ups in the tax department's systems.

Local tax experts suggest this could be a case of administrative error or possibly identity theft, though no official clarification has been provided by tax authorities yet. The family now faces the challenge of addressing this notice despite their limited resources and understanding of tax procedures.