Tax payers will no longer be facing hard times when it comes to paying tax or filing returns as the new Aayakar Seva Kendra (ASK) has come into place to help them out.
The I-T department launched this multifaceted mechanism to achieve 100% tax collection by helping people file their taxes. ASK came up along the lines of Passport Seva Kendra which helps people get their passports, renewals and other such services at an easy access point with service representatives to help customers.
Speaking after the launch of the ASK, income-tax chief commissioner ML Agarwall said: “This is the first outlet in Karnataka and we will add three more in Hubli, Mangalore, Panji for Karnataka and Goa circles. In the country, we will add 60 more outlets.”
Currently, there are two such kendras working in Kochi and Pune.
“The success rates in these kendras have been 100% and based on that we have planned on the others,” he said. The ASK outlets are meant to be a one-window solution for all tax services.
“The kendra will have representatives who will help with paperwork and with e-filing. A number will be given and token will be issued for tax payer. The token will have a barcode, which can be checked online to see where your papers have reached,” he said.
The I-T department also plans to bring the ASK outlets in every building housing the I-T department in the country. “All these years, people feared us as a law enforcing agency. We want to be a service-oriented agency as well and help people file their taxes. This will also ensure that we get 100% tax collection within three years,” he said.
Currently, the system of filing taxes has been cumbersome with many getting letters to file their taxes even after they have filed it. “These glitches will be addressed once the system is in place and everything goes online,” he said.
He also inaugurated the ASK kiosk which will help in filing taxes at Canara Bank ATM.
