If you have opened an income tax notice and are looking for an advocate in Kolkata, the first thing to separate is the professional fee from the tax itself. Responding to the department — reading the notice, reconciling it against your returns, and drafting a reply or appearing at a hearing — is professional work that the advocate bills for. The tax, interest and any penalty are a different matter entirely: they are set by the Income-tax Act, 1961 and are payable to the government, not to your advocate. No honest page will quote you a rate for them, and we will not either. This page covers how the reply work is charged and what to prepare. Our tax practice is described on the tax law service page.
The notice families you are most likely to receive
Income tax notices under the Income-tax Act, 1961 come for different reasons, and the reply work differs with each. A common one is an intimation or a proposed adjustment to your return under the scrutiny or adjustment provisions; another is a notice requiring you to produce documents and explain a transaction; a third is a notice proposing to reopen an earlier year where the department believes income escaped assessment. There is also the notice of demand that follows an assessment. Each type has its own response, its own deadline, and its own consequence if it is ignored — so the first step is always to identify precisely which one you are holding and under which provision it was issued.
How advocates charge for income tax notice replies in Kolkata
- A fixed fee per notice. Replying to one identified notice, once the volume of records is known, is closed work that can be priced up front.
- A per-hearing fee. Where the officer lists you for a hearing, whether in person or by video, each appearance is a separate stage.
- A stage-wise fee. Reply, hearing, assessment, and then appeal to the Commissioner (Appeals) or the Tribunal — each is a fresh stage with its own fee.
- A retainer. Individuals with complex affairs and businesses with recurring scrutiny often prefer a monthly retainer to a fee per notice.
A first consultation is spent reading the notice, your return for the relevant year, your books, bank statements and any earlier correspondence with the department. That reading is how anyone can tell you whether the department's point is technical, factual, or simply a records mismatch — and whether it is worth contesting.
Tax, interest and penalty are separate — and fixed by statute
Our fee is for the professional work. The tax the department assesses, the interest that may accrue, and any penalty are all prescribed by the Income-tax Act, 1961. They are payable to the government, their rates are set by the statute and by the Finance Act for the year, and they are neither ours to charge nor ours to waive. We do not quote any rate here on purpose: the amount turns on the year, the facts, and the provision applied. What we do is read the notice, tell you candidly whether the demand is well founded, and where it is not, set out the grounds in the reply and, if needed, carry the matter to appeal.
What is not covered by the fee
- The tax, interest and penalty assessed under the statute — paid to the government.
- Portal or e-filing charges where the reply, submission or appeal is filed electronically.
- Photocopying and compilation of returns, statements and annexures.
- Travel to assessment or appellate offices outside Kolkata.
- Accountant or auditor charges. Where a reconciliation, a certificate or an audited statement is required, that is a separate professional engagement with your accountant.
What drives the cost up or down
- How many years the notice covers. One assessment year is far less work than several.
- The paper trail. A single disputed entry is quick to explain; a reopening built on many transactions is not.
- Whether a hearing is listed and whether it is in person or by video.
- Whether it escalates to appeal before the Commissioner (Appeals) or the Tribunal.
- How fast you produce records. Delay and incomplete records always add to the time and the cost.
Questions to ask before you engage an advocate
- Which notice is this, under which provision of the Income-tax Act, 1961, and what is it asking for?
- Is the department's point factual, technical, or a records mismatch?
- Is your fee fixed for the reply, or does it also include the hearing?
- What is billed separately — portal charges, copying, travel, accountant's work?
- What is the deadline, and what are the consequences of missing it?
- If the reply is rejected, what does an appeal cost, and is it a new stage?
- What documents and statements should I gather now?
Our published fees
We do not state our own amounts on this page. Our published consultation and appearance fees are set out on our pricing page, so the figure is clear before you engage. A defined reply to a defined notice can be quoted as a fixed fee once the notice and the records have been seen; anything that runs across several stages is estimated honestly rather than fixed. To discuss your notice, contact us or read more about the tax law service.
Frequently asked questions
Does your fee include the tax I may have to pay?
No. The tax, interest and penalty assessed under the Income-tax Act, 1961 are payable by you to the government. Our fee is only for the professional work of advising, drafting and appearing.
Can you estimate my tax liability before I show you the papers?
No, and you should distrust anyone who does. The amount depends on the year, the provision applied and your records. A figure given before that reading would be a guess.
What if I do not respond to the notice at all?
The department can complete the assessment on the material it has, which usually produces a worse demand — and sometimes a penalty — than a reply filed in time. Treat the deadline as real and bring the notice to an advocate promptly.
Do you only draft the reply, or also appear for me?
Either. Some clients want a drafted reply to file themselves; others want us to attend the hearing and handle the correspondence. The fee reflects which you choose.