The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Special counters help salaried tax payers file returns

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 01, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Special counters help salaried tax payers file returns

N. Anand

CHENNAI: Salaried tax payers crowded the 40 special counters set up at the Income Tax office on Nungambakkam High Road for the last five days to file their tax returns.

Since July 27, as many as 1.66 lakh salaried tax payers from Chennai and Tambaram jurisdiction filed Income Tax returns, with the last day alone accounting for 53,058 people. Interestingly, from April 1 to July 26, around 1.28 lakh salaried tax assessees filed I-T returns.

With this, the Income Tax department has received 2.94 lakh applications for the four months period from April 1 to July 31 as against 2.38 lakh received during the corresponding period last year.

Talking to The-Hindu on Tuesday, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, C.R. Ravichandhran said, “the 40 special counters have been in operation for the last five days to meet the rush and to help the salaried tax payers. The respo nse has been overwhelming. In the last two days alone, our officials have helped over 87,000 applicants to file returns. As compared to April-July 2006 figures, we exceeded the target yesterday itself with 2.41 lakh returns. Around 15,000 assessees filed their returns electronically.”

Last year 2006-07 witnessed as many as 3.14 lakh salaried tax payers filing Income Tax returns. Going by the current trend for the first four months, the Income Tax department is likely to cross this figure very easily.

IT collection doubles

Mr. Ravichandhran said that they had set a collection target of Rs 17,402 crore for April 2007 to March 2008 and they were hopeful of achieving the target.

In the last three years beginning March 2004-05, the Income Tax collections from the State are on the upswing from Rs 8,344 crore to Rs 10,861 crore to Rs 14,891 crore. Last year, the department recorded 37 per cent increase in its collection over the previous year. “The economy is booming and there is growth everywhere. Last year, the Chennai zone alone accounted for a major chunk of Rs 11,504 crore,” he said.

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