NIIT Ltd to prepare 5,000 IT-return experts

New Delhi, Nov 12 (UNI) The government has roped in NIIT Ltd, a software developer and computer training organisation, for preparing a team of 5,000 agents who will help assessees in filing their IT-returns free-of-cost.

These agents will be selected from the fields of law, commerce, statistics, mathematics and MBA.

''We have received an initial contract by the Finance Ministry to train a team of 5,000 graduates to help file tax-returns,'' company's Chief Operating Officer P Rajendran told UNI.

This initiative will help increase governmnent revenues as well as create employment opportunities for the youth, Mr Rajendran said, adding that training of the agents would be over by the end of January next year.

After the completion of the training session, they have to appear for an examination to be conducted by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), only after which they would be considered eligible to file tax returns.

To be known as tax return preparers (TRP), they will file the return on computers and would send it to the department. For this purpose, a new website (www.trpscheme.com) is being started, Mr Rajendran said.

In return of their services, the agents will be paid three per cent of the tax as commission in the first year which will be reduced to two per cent in the second year.

UNI MB DKS RK1710