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Helping taxpayers in filing returns

Special Correspondent

— PHOTO: R. V. MOORTHY

SERVICE AT DOORSTEP: Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram (second from right), presenting the certificate to a student watched by NIIT Chairman, Rajendra S. Pawar (extreme right), during the convocation ceremony of the first batch of Tax Return Preparers trained by NIIT in New Delhi on Wednesday.

NEW DELHI: Filing personal income-tax returns will not be a complicated affair any more as assistance will be readily available, with the first batch of 3,737 tax return preparers (TRPs) completing their training with IT education company NIIT.

Addressing the TRPs at a convocation ceremony here on Wednesday, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram noted that the scheme was a unique initiative to encourage young men and women graduates to embark on a successful career as TRPs and eventually as financial advisors to small and marginal taxpayers. "It is an attempt by the Income-tax Department to deliver the services to its constituents right at their doorstep, either at no cost or at a marginal cost," he said.

Under the scheme, the TRPs, who were awarded certificates, are to receive a commission from the Department for assisting new taxpayers in filing returns. For old assessees, they could also charge a service fee up to Rs. 250.

The TRP scheme, announced in the Budget for the current fiscal, was launched with several objectives, the major one being higher collection of taxes as the TRPs would help inculcate the habit of voluntary tax compliance among small and marginal taxpayers. Mr. Chidambaram said a website of the TRP Scheme and a toll-free help line would provide the contact details of TRPs to taxpayers who propose to utilise their services. Under the scheme, NIIT trained 4,517 candidates, of whom 3,737 qualified for the job. He hoped that alongside, financial institutions would also provide employment to the TRPs for selling their products.

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