Ahmedabad: The Income Tax (I-T) Department conducted a nationwide survey on Sunday covering 62 restaurants in 46 cities across 22 states, and detected large-scale tax irregularities in the food and beverage sector.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the survey uncovered suppression of sales worth around ₹408 crore. It has been learnt that among the establishments surveyed, three were located in Ahmedabad and one in Surat.

In a release, V. Rajitha, Commissioner of Income Tax (Media & Technical Policy) and official spokesperson of CBDT, said the department had been studying tax evasion patterns in the food and beverage (F&B) sector since November 2025.

During the investigation, officials found that several restaurants were allegedly involved in deleting bulk bills and making modifications in records to hide actual sales. The department analysed transactional data of about 1.77 lakh restaurants using AI-enabled analytical tools to identify suspicious patterns.

The analysed data was then compared with the turnover declared by these establishments in their income tax returns, which revealed significant discrepancies.

The department further stated that it has launched the SAKSHAM NUDGE campaign to guide and advise taxpayers to correct their mistakes. Taxpayers have been encouraged to file updated returns under Section 139(8A) of the Income Tax Act. In the first phase, emails and messages will be sent to the identified 63,000 restaurants, asking them to update their returns before March 31, 2026. DeshGujarat