New Delhi, July 24 -- With the 31 July income tax return (ITR) filing deadline approaching, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday asked officials to make the system more taxpayer-friendly by easing compliance for honest taxpayers while taking firm action against evasion. She said certainty in the tax regime is critical for the economy.

Addressing the 167th Income Tax Day celebrations, Sitharaman said the department should give taxpayers with an opportunity to correct bona fide mistakes.

"Our approach should ensure convenience for the honest taxpayer, an opportunity to correct bona fide errors, and firm consequences for deliberate evasion," she said, adding that a taxpayer is "not merely an assessee; a taxpayer is a citizen and a...