Enumerators find it difficult to elicit data on annual income, tax payment

Many traders of Mysuru city are reluctant to furnish details to the census enumerators when they go to their shops or business establishments. Of the 55 questions there are two that seek information about annual income and whether the person in question is a tax payer.

According to enumerators in Mysuru, as soon as questions on annual income and whether they are tax payers is raised, people in the shop say that the owner is away and that the enumerator should come the next day for data collection.

Take the case of Preethi, an enumerator, who was trying to collect data from an office of a real estate businessman on Venkataramana Road in Kuvempu Nagar.

She told

The Hindu that businessmen are not very keen on divulging information about their annual income and whether they are tax payers. In fact many who were giving all other information would also stop responding as soon as question about annual income is raised, she added. Many have asked her to go to the next day to get complete data, and in most cases even the second visit has not helped much. In some instances, she says, she has been told that the

“actual owner is out of town”. Some enumerators also told The Hindu that they were being questioned by may traders as to why they needed information about their annual income and whether they were tax payers. In some instances, traders argued with enumerators in Saraswathipuram extension, and asked them whether they were from the Income Tax Department. “You have come for the caste census and collect details in regard to our caste, education and other related issues”, the traders reportedly told the enumerators and refused to furnish any other details.