Income Tax Grievances On X: What Role Does Social Media Play in Resolving Taxpayer Issues?

For many taxpayers, X has become an additional platform to raise income tax-related grievances, and the Income Tax Department has been actively responding through its official handle as part of its Online Response Management (ORM) initiative. While the prescribed grievance redressal process continues through the department's official channels, attention is also shifting to what happens after the department responds and the role social media plays in resolving taxpayer issues.

What Happens After Taxpayers Raise Issues on X?

When Outlook Money reached out to taxpayers who had approached the Income Tax Department through X, their experiences reflected different outcomes. While some said their issues remained unresolved, others reported that their grievances were addressed after raising them on the platform.

An IT professional, who requested anonymity, took to X after waiting for more than two months for a Tax Residency Certificate (TRC), saying that repeated follow-ups through official channels had not resolved the issue. A TRC certifies a taxpayer's residential status and helps claim benefits under tax treaties to avoid double taxation in certain cross-border transactions. The Income Tax Department responded to his post, stating, "We have shared your details with the relevant team/jurisdictional authorities. They are looking into this."

However, in a conversation with Outlook Money, the taxpayer said the issue remained unresolved despite raising grievances through the Income Tax portal, emailing the department and filing complaints on CPGRAMS. He said the delay had caused financial difficulties, as his overseas client required the TRC to avoid double taxation and had withheld payments since April.

Another taxpayer, who posted under the handle @raghavmanda84, raised concerns over a pending rectification order under Section 154 of the Income-tax Act. While the Income Tax Department responded that the matter had been escalated to the concerned team, the taxpayer later posted that he was still waiting for the order despite following up for the past two months.

However, not every taxpayer reported a similar experience after approaching the department on X.

Pravin Menariya faced an issue while filing his ITR-2 for AY 2026-27, where the 80C deduction option was not available on the portal. After posting about the issue on X, the Income Tax Department asked him to share his details via email. Menariya later posted that he received a call from the department and that his ITR filing issue was resolved. Responding to Outlook Money, he said the department guided him on the additional steps required to activate the 80C values on the portal. He added that earlier solutions had not worked, but the issue was resolved after he raised the matter on X.

Similarly, a user under the handle @Anmolkedia1 said a portal-related issue while filing an HUF return was resolved within 24 hours after approaching the department on X, and appreciated the department's response.

Does X help resolve taxpayer issues?

The varied experiences of taxpayers raise questions about how effective X is in resolving grievances. Experts say social media can help highlight issues, but cannot replace the formal grievance process.

Gaurav Makhijani, Managing Partner at Makhijani Gera & Associates LLP, said that social media platforms like X have become an additional channel for taxpayers to highlight issues and seek assistance. He added that this is especially helpful in addressing portal-related problems.

He further noted, “While social media can accelerate attention to a matter, it does not replace the official grievance mechanism. The actual resolution still takes place through the prescribed statutory and administrative processes.”

What Should Taxpayers Do Beyond Social Media?

Experts suggest that taxpayers should first use the official grievance mechanisms available for follow-up and resolution.

Nishant Shanker, Chartered Accountant at Navraj Global Advisors, said, “Taxpayers can raise grievances through the Income Tax Department’s e-filing portal (e-Nivaran) with complete facts and supporting documents. They should keep a record of the grievance reference number and monitor the status regularly.” He added that unresolved matters can be escalated through the designated escalation mechanism available on the portal, and, where required, taxpayers can approach the jurisdictional Assessing Officer or the concerned tax authority.

Nishant also suggested that measures such as enabling two-way communication within the grievance portal and introducing specific timelines for different categories of grievances could help improve the taxpayer experience.

The experiences shared by taxpayers suggest that while X can help bring attention to grievances, the final resolution continues to depend on the Income Tax Department’s official grievance process.