Tax Return Preparers Scheme – CBDT’s new iniative

By Vijay Kumar

Want help in filing your tax return? For just Rs. 250/- you will get assistance from a TRP to be appointed by CBDT. About 5000 TRPs are to be trained in 80 cities by NIIT with the objectives of

++ Reducing the cost of compliance for small and marginal taxpayers and to encourage them to comply with tax laws

++ Providing self-employment opportunities to unemployed or partially employed graduates all over the country.

The salient features of the scheme are

++ Assistance in filing tax returns free of cost would be extended to self employed and small businessmen, salaried employees, senior citizens, and women having total income up to a specified amount.

++ The minimum qualification for undergoing training as Tax Return Preparers would be a graduation degree in Commerce, Law, Economics,Mathematics, Statistics, and Management.

++9 days training to TRPs with the help of a training partner NIIT. Cost to be borne by government.

++ A “Tax return Preparers Course Completion Certificate” and an Identity Card bearing a unique identification number would be issued at the end of each training programme.

Tax outsourced - Commission for tax collection:

++ The Tax Return Preparers would be reimbursed 3% of the tax collected for the first year’s return of a new tax payer, 2% for the second year and 1% for the third year, on the returns prepared by tax returns preparers.

++ For preparing returns of existing tax payers, TRPs will collect from the taxpayer Rs. 250 for return for every assessment year.