I-T filings just a click away

TAX & YOU

If you have access to an internet connection, and are a salaried employee you can access the website of the Income tax department and file your tax online more easily.

The department has revamped its e-filing facility by making it more user friendly. The website now allows user to find out how much tax to pay, how to pay the tax, how to file the returns, obtain permanent account number or tax deduction account number and be informed about when to pay the tax.

All you now have to do is to access the department's website www.incometaxindia.gov.in. The home page has several options including one which says 'register with us'.

This new registration facility, specially for salaried employees has been introduced from June 21, 2005. Officials pointed out that though the website already contained a registration mechanism, it did not have authenticating fields to check the correctness of the information provided.

This has now been revamped. While registering, information relating to the assessee like the e-mail address, income slab, PAN/TAN and telephone numbers would have to be provided.

There is a verification for the e-mail and the department can 'call' the assessee to verify the information.

The information provided by those who register would be solely used to send information relevant to their profile. It will not be put to any other use in the income tax department.

Upon registration, a taxpayer will receive a welcome message enclosing a brochure 'e-delivery of taxpayer services' and a bouquet of services which includes tax forms, the relevant page of M/s Taxmann's income tax ready reckoner, a link to the tax calculator on the website, information about the due dates, PAN pre-printed challans by e-mail and information about notifications and circulars.

In the revamped website, income tax department officials, tax professionals and taxpayers would have the option to receive e-mails on notifications and circulars as and when issued by the department.

The online tax calculator would enable the taxpayer to compute the tax payable once they determine the taxable income.

In addition to this, the department will also soon extend the facilities of the Aaykar Sampark Kendra (ASK) or the call centre facility to help assessees in obtaining, filing and filling returns.

ASK will help assessees in obtaining forms, arriving at payable tax once income is computed. The forms will be sent by ASK to the assessees either through fax or e-mail.

The ASK is at present limited to addressing grievances pertaining to PAN/TAN and e-TDS (tax deducted at source). The call centre's number is 0124 -24380000.