Tax Clinic to help tax-payers to file IT returns

Two-day event begins; facilitation centre at ICAI Bhawan, Bank Employees Colony, Bogadi

Mysore/Mysuru: The Mysuru branch of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) hosted a two-day ‘Tax Clinic’ starting today from 11 am to 6 pm. This programme, organised by the Direct Tax Committee of ICAI, is supported by the Income Tax Department and the Directorate of Income Tax.

The nationwide initiative by ICAI aims to raise awareness among tax-payers about the importance of filing Income Tax (IT) Returns and address any queries or uncertainties they may have regarding the filing process. The goal is to reduce litigation, increase the tax base, provide timely compliance and ensure smooth filing.

In Mysuru, the ‘Tax Clinic’ took place at the ICAI branch premises in Bogadi. It was inaugurated by K. Devarathna Kumar, Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Assessment Unit-1, Mysuru.

Present at the event were Kalpalatha Rajan, Joint Commissioner of Income Tax, Sangeetha Ananth, Joint Commissioner of Range 2, Satish Meriga, Commissioner of Appeals, ICAI Mysuru Chairman V. Raghavendra Rao, Secretary Uttam Padival  and Treasurer Raghuveera.

This tax clinic is being conducted at 168 branches of ICAI across India, to spread tax awareness, promote tax compliance and assist tax-payers in resolving queries related to e-filing of Income Tax Returns (ITR).

The initiative serves as an outreach programme to create general awareness about Direct Tax Compliances, expand the tax base of the country and encourage voluntary filing of Tax Returns. Tax experts will be available solely to address queries and will not file IT returns at the Help Desk. Experts will offer free consultations on queries related to direct taxes. The service is free for the general public and will be helpful for those who have faced issues during the filing of their ITR.

Devarathna Kumar mentioned that there has been a recent increase in the number of youngsters filing their IT returns. This rise can be attributed to the growing awareness of the importance of filing IT returns, aided by Government campaigns, initiatives and social media efforts.

Furthermore, filing IT returns has become more convenient in recent years. The government has simplified the online filing process and there are various tax preparation software options available. This ease of use has enabled young people to file returns more easily, even without extensive tax experience.

During the facilitation initiative, tax experts Sathyanarayana Rao (Chartered Accountant and past Chairman of ICAI), M.C. Kumar (Chartered Accountant and past Chairman of ICAI) and Tarun Kotari (Chartered Accountant) addressed taxpayers’ doubts.

Public may contact ICAI Mysuru Branch at Ph: 0821-2598000.