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Journalism of Courage
The Central Board of Direct Taxes is working towards designing a new tax returns form, that would make bulky annexures attached with the returns form by assessees, a thing of the past.
A finance ministry official said that the Budget has given powers to prescribe an annexure-less returns form for tax payers. The new form should be ready within a month. Currently, the tax returns form is bland and leaves assessees groping in the dark.
8216;8216;They either give an overdose of information in the annexures or provide inadequate details. The new form will call for some only the vital details. More details would be asked as required, 8217;8217; the official said.
Not only will annexures be discouraged with the new tax returns form, the I-T department clerks who receive returns filed by taxpayers, will be told to tear any annexures attached to returns forms and return those to tax filers. Another redeeming feature for taxpayers in this year8217;s Budget is that senior I-T department officers would be empowered to deal with any major grievances of taxpayers.
8216;8216;Now a commissioner or a chief commissioner could redress serious grievances so that the taxpayer doesn8217;t invite any form of animosity,8217;8217; the finance ministry official said.
CAs need not worry: MoF
NEW DELHI: At a workshop organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants India ICAI to understand the Union Budget, senior chartered accountants expressed concern about the finance ministry proposal to allow non-lawyer, non-CA persons to act as tax returns preparers.
But a finance ministry official allayed their concerns by stating, 8216;8216;CAs and lawyers are not prohibited from preparing tax returns. This scheme is meant for new tax-payers who need some technical help8217;8217;.
