Making it easier for taxpayers to prepare their tax returns, the Income Tax Department has widened the scope of work of Tax Return Preparers (TRPs), as they can now prepare and furnish TDS and Service Tax returns as well apart from normal income tax returns.
The Central Board of Excise and Customs has already amended its Service Tax Act to enable TRPs to prepare and furnish service tax returns on behalf of the tax payers. The training programme for TRPs will be started by the Central Board of Direct Taxes, CBDT said in a release. While the first batch of income tax and TDS training module for the TRPs will be conducted from March 4 to 9 and the second batch from March 13 to 18, training for TRPs on Service Tax will be completed by April 10, it said. After the training completed by April 10, TRPs can prepare and file Service Tax returns due on April 25 this year, it added.
PRESS RELEASE ON THE ABOVE SUBJECT IS AS FOLLOWS:
Enlargement of scope of Tax Return Preparer (TRP) Scheme
No.402/92/2006-MC (05 of 2009)
Government of India / Ministry of Finance Department of Revenue Central Board of Direct Taxes
New Delhi dated 19th February 2009
PRESS RELEASE
The Government of India have decided to enlarge the scope of the existing Tax Return Preparer (TRP) Scheme and authorize them to prepare and furnish returns of Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and Service Tax, in addition to incometax returns. To carry out the aforesaid decision, the Central Board of Direct Taxes has decided to retrain the TRPs. For this purpose, a retraining course consisting of 15-day self-study followed by classroom training will be organized for TRPs relating to Income Tax and for Service Tax.
The retraining will be imparted, free of cost, for 6 days in income tax rules and procedures relating to IT / TDS returns and for another 6 days in Service Tax rules at 82 NIIT locations all across country to approximately 3,500 existing TRPs as also those who undertook similar training but could not qualify end of the course examination earlier. Besides, the training is also open for the candidates who were disqualified to be TRPs for the reason that they were drawing salary income.
In addition to increasing its scope, the training has been revamped using a more practical approach offering a simulated environment for TRPS to practice endtoend process of computing taxable income and tax thereon, filling out relevant forms, filing returns both manually and electronically, and filling out disbursement details. Apart from legal aspects and procedures, the training will equip the TRPs with ways to generate leads and handle difficult situations and customers. At the end of each training module, TRPs will be required to appear for a certification test, which must be cleared for them to renew their TRP license and continue as a TRP. The 1st batch of ITR/TDS training module will be conducted from 4th March 2009 to 9th March 2009 and the second batch will be conducted from 13th Mar 2009 to 18th Mar 2009.
The Central Board of Excise & Customs has already amended the Service tax Act to enable TRPs to prepare and file Service Tax returns. The self-study and training for TRPs on Service tax will be completed by 10th April 2009, to enable them to prepare and file Service tax returns due on 25th April 2009.
The registration process was held between 17th February 2009 and 19th February 2009 across the 82 NIIT centers. A dedicated toll free helpline no. 18001023738has been put in place in addition to the website www.trpscheme.com. Post training, an online exam will be conducted on 20th March 2009, result of which be declared on 21st March 2009. Upon successful retraining, they will also be able to prepare and file four quarterly return of TDS & two half yearly returns of Service tax. This will increase their area and scope of work, their remuneration and also help increase compliance to tax laws.
Tax Return Preparer Scheme was launched in 2006. The scheme was designed with a view to help small individual & HUF taxpayers in filing their Income tax return & simultaneously providing employment to unemployed graduates by training them in preparation of Income tax returns. In the first phase of scheme, approx 5000 unemployed graduates were short listed out of one lakh applications received, who were given a ten-day training at various centers across the country on preparing Income tax returns. Initially, 3737 participants qualified end of course examination. These TRPs have assisted thousands of small taxpayers file their returns of income from 2006-07 onwards.
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