New Delhi: A viral message doing the rounds on social media has left many taxpayers worried. The claim suggests that from April 1, 2026, the Income Tax Department will be able to access people’s social media accounts, emails and other digital platforms to crack down on tax evasion. With the post sparking confusion and concern, many are now wondering whether the tax department will actually have such sweeping powers.
Due to the widespread circulation of this claim, the Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check team stepped in to verify whether the message was true or misleading. This raised an important question: what exactly does the viral social media post claim about the Income Tax Department’s authority to access personal digital accounts?
Addressing the issue, PIB clarified, “Unless a taxpayer is undergoing a formal search operation due to evidence of significant tax evasion, the department has no power to access their private digital spaces.” The fact-checking agency also pointed out that the misleading claim was shared by an X handle, @IndianTechGuide, which falsely suggested that tax authorities would carry out mass digital surveillance.
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PIB clarified that the Income Tax Department does not have the authority to access private digital platforms during routine assessments, data processing or scrutiny cases. It stressed that these provisions do not impact honest, law-abiding taxpayers.
Explaining the intent behind such powers, PIB said, “These measures are specifically designed to target black money and large-scale evasion during search and survey, not the everyday law-abiding citizen.”
The fact-checking unit further noted that the power to seize documents and evidence during search and survey operations has been in place since the Income Tax Act of 1961 and is not a new provision.
A post by @IndianTechGuide claims that from April 1, 2026, the Income Tax Department will have the ‘authority’ to access your social media, emails, and other digital platforms to curb tax evasion.#PIBFactCheck
The claim being made in this post is #misleading! Here’s the real… pic.twitter.com/hIyPPcvALF
— PIB Fact Check (@PIBFactCheck) December 22, 2025
What Does ‘Black Money’ Mean? Explained Simply
Black money refers to income or assets on which taxes have not been paid or which have been earned through illegal activities. This can include money generated from otherwise legal work but hidden from tax authorities, as well as funds earned through unlawful activities such as smuggling, illicit trade, counterfeit currency operations, arms trafficking, terrorism and corruption. Simply put, black money includes any assets or resources that were never reported to authorities when they were earned or disclosed at any stage of their ownership.
