FM announces TRP Scheme for ordinary tax payers

New Delhi, Nov 6 (UNI) To widen the tax base, Finance Minister P Chidambaram today announced the launch of 'Tax Returns Preparers (TRP) Scheme,' to encourage small and marginal tax payers to file their returns.

The government will enroll the services of unemployed and partially employed people for assisting small and medium tax payers in preparing their returns.

Mr Chidambaram told a Press Conference here that the TRPs will assist in filing returns free of cost to self-employed, small businessmen, salaried employees, senior citizens and women up to a specified amount. From others, they will charge a nominal fee of Rs 250 per tax return.

During the current financial year, on a pilot basis, 5,000 TRPs would be trained at 100 centres in 80 cities across the country.

These 5,000 TRPs would be certified by the second week of February, 2007.

Mr Chidambaram said the minimum qualification for undergoing training as Tax Retrun Prepares would be a graduation degree in Commerce, Law, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, and Management.

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