Kudos to PC and his entire team!!!!

I am recovering from a fortnight of very hectic work of preparation and filing of the return of income for various corporate tax payers. It also included one 36 hour marathon effort!! But one thing I told myself at the end of the filing season on October 31 (after filing more than 2 dozen returns) was “Well done and thank you Mr FM and your team!”

Mr P Chidambaram and his entire team deserve a pat on their back for the e-filing process! One will understand and appreciate the achievement only if he goes through the e-filing format (ITR – 6) prescribed. After handling more than 2 dozen returns, I dint come across any single logical error or mistake worht menting in the entire format. The efforts in drafting the FAQs provided in connection with the e-filing process are also commendable.

Collating various forms, obtaining various signatures, making photo-copies of all annexures are now a thing of the past. While I was doing my articles, the toughest part was collating the documents for the return, filling the return, making copies and filing. The worst part was for our office support staff to stand in a serpentine queue to file the return before 6 pm on the last day! Today, none of those are needed!

Under the new scheme, a return can literally be filed anytime – anywhere! We had cases where the person signing the return was not even in the same city and the returns were digitally signed and uploaded!!

The website (http://www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in/) allows every tax payer to have a log-in, upload retruns, view the status of his earlier years return. Add to this the fact that the entire software was provided free of cost. Mr PC, the entire income tax department and the CBDT deserves a huge applause for this!! This in my opinion is an achievement which every Indian needs to be proud of!