Income Tax dept opens help centre for tax payers

Bangalore, June 15: Karnataka Governor T N Chaturvedi today inaugurated a 'Help Centre' set up in the city by the Income Tax (IT) Department in collaboration with the Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI) for the benefit of tax payers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Chaturvedi said ''Over the years there has been some kind of distrust between tax payers and the Department. Now things have changed and the IT Department is making all out efforts to come closer to tax payers and setting up of Help Centres is one such step.'' Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Bangalore-I, Manju Madhavan in her welcome address, said the idea of 'Help Centre' originated in the Union Finance Minister's Budget Speech last year and a three-month pilot project was implemented last year.

She said 15 'Help Centres' had been opened throughout the state to guide, help, assist and educate tax payers so that a greater element of confidence and trust was generated, which would in turn facilitate voluntary compliance in the coming years without being overawed or subdued by the Department.

The Centre would function till August 14 this year and during March next year.

UNI