The Income Tax Department needs to immediately add 30,000 more employees to carry out its existing operations, a senior Finance Ministry official said.

"To avoid affecting the overall revenue collection and delivery of tax payer services, the department immediately requires 22,000 additional employees apart from filling up the 8,000-odd vacant positions," the official said.

The department has 58,000 sanctioned positions and about 8,000 posts are lying vacant.

He said the department needs 4,000 officers (including 2,000 assessing officers), 4,000 inspectors, 12,000 tax assistants, data entry operators and other support staff, and about 2,000 as reserves.

The matter for additional staff will be raised in the annual conference of Chief Commissioners to be held in New Delhi on June 9 and 10, the official said. Staffing requirement for tax administration prompts urgent workforce expansion to preserve revenue functions and taxpayer services. The tax administration reports an immediate staffing requirement to maintain revenue collection and taxpayer services: with 58,000 sanctioned posts and about 8,000 vacancies, officials advocate adding 30,000 personnel, including officers (assessing officers), inspectors, tax assistants, data-entry operators and reserve staff, and will present the proposal at the annual conference of chief commissioners to secure administrative approval and implement workforce expansion for operational continuity.