The National Board of Revenue has decided to send text message through mobile phone to all taxpayer identification number holders, asking them to submit income tax returns and pay tax in the current financial year, officials concerned told New Age.
They said the online TIN project would send the messages to all taxpayers registered under e-TIN system of the NBR reminding them the schedule of submitting returns and paying income tax.
In another move, the revenue board has decided to establish a call centre to provide the taxpayers with tax-related information, advice and other services.
The revenue board will also accept income tax returns of taxpayers having traditional 10-digit TINs under universal self assessment system if they submit filled-up registration forms for taking e-TIN certificates, they said.
The income tax wing of the revenue board at a meeting with its field-level commissioners made the decision recently in a bid to create taxpayer-friendly environment and build taxpayers’ confidence in paying tax.
At the meeting, NBR high-ups also instructed the field officials for taking various steps so that all TIN holders could submit returns and pay tax, an NBR official told New Age on Wednesday.
They were also instructed to take various activities to encourage taxpayers to submit returns and pay tax, he said.
The officials said taxpayers would get answers of their queries related to tax by calling at call centre without visiting NBR offices.
The move will reduce hassles of taxpayers as there are widespread allegations that they face harassment while visiting tax offices.
According to the officials, 10-digit old TIN holders will not be allowed to submit their returns under universal self assessment system under which a taxpayer gets some additional benefits compared with others who submit returns under traditional system.
But the NBR will accept the returns to be submitted with old TINs along with application for obtaining e-TINs and other documents under the universal self assessment system.
The 10-digit TIN holders will be allowed to receive 12-digit e-TIN up to the last date of submission of income tax return for the current financial year.
The last date of submission of return for individual taxpayer is September 30 and for corporate taxpayers is December 31.
According to the NBR statistics, currently, there are 17.52 lakh individuals and 50,000 company TIN holders in the country.
According to NBR data, till Wednesday some 12.76 lakh taxpayers received e-TIN certificates. Of them, 9.41 lakh existing TIN holders re-registered under the e-TIN system while 3.35 lakh new taxpayers took e-TINs.
Of individual taxpayers, 9 lakh replaced their existing old TINs by e-TINs while 3.20 lakh took new TINs.
Of company taxpayers, 25,495 existing taxpayers replaced their old TINs by e-TINs while 6,918 new companies registered under the system.
-With New Age input
