IT Department takes tax matters to schools.
In order to rope in more tax payers and to ensure that people do not evade taxes, Income-Tax officials have been advised to visit schools and pre-degree colleges across the country to impart 'gyan' to the student fraternity about the importance of taxation and the menace of black money in the economy.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes has issued a fresh communiqué, titled Central Action Plan 2012-13, a confidential document which is in the possession of Business Line. The Commissioner Income Tax has been told to depute "young and dynamic officials" to visit schools to talk to children during morning assemblies on tax and black money issues.
Tax officials have been asked to communicate the importance of taxation through stories, explaining age-old concepts of taxation and their current relevance. In order to make students aware and to ensure that the message reaches their parents, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has hit upon this novel communication strategy.
The schools to be covered include Government, public and convent schools.
A senior I-T official at the Income Tax headquarters in Mumbai confirmed the development to Business Line and said that the practice was in effect for one year. He said officers have been making power point presentations in schools about the nature of taxation, the importance of PAN numbers and the many ways to file I-T returns.
The official said the students' response was enthusiastic.
Students at Jamshedji Jeejeebhoy School, Abhyudaya Vidayala and Nirmala Niketan College in Mumbai, among a host of other schools and colleges across the country, have been imparted knowledge about taxation in the last year, the official added.
When asked how the concept of black money is explained, he said, "We told the students that black money is not currency notes coloured with a specific dye, but it is money gained by avoiding taxes,''.
Though the action plan for this fiscal advises all Commissioner rank officials to depute senior officers to visit schools, student visits to the Income Tax offices have also been organised in batches of 20 to 25 of age group 16-18 years.
When contacted, former MP and Senior BJP leader from Maharashtra Kirit Somaiya welcomed the move by the I-T Department.
"In the last century, only when youngsters reached the age of 30 they used to start paying taxes. Today, most people are paying taxes in their 20s and these numbers are growing across cities. Therefore, such measures at the school-level are welcome,'' said Somaiya.
Tata says to Mumbai By .....
Mumbai, Aug. 29:
Ashalata Maheshwari, an investor in about 1,000 blue-chip companies, is a regular at most annual general meetings (AGMs). She was in for a surprise when Ratan Tata announced her name as Asha 'Lata Mangeshkar'.
The head of the $83.3-billion Tata group was quick to correct his mistake with a witty remark: "I think you can start singing too…," he said to a sheepish Maheshwari, who was singing the Chairman's praises.
Tata's penchant for witty remarks and comments, as legendary as the man himself, have always been in evidence at the various group companies' AGMs that Business Line has covered. Apart from conducting the business of the day in a sombre manner, Tata used the occasion to show off his humorous side. Ratan Tata retires in December, this year, when he turns 75.
"I am not going to disappear. You will continue to see my face. I will be around, whether you like it or not," he chuckled, to an astonished crowd at the Tata Motors' shareholder AGM.
At the Tata Consultancy Services shareholder meet, he had another trick up his sleeve and didn't shy away from taking a dig at himself. He dismissed the special bonus 'parting gift' sought by a shareholder with the wry remark, "You may remember me as the stingiest chairman."
A reference to the Parsi community's contribution to the city's industrial development did not go unnoticed at the Tata Power AGM. To a comment on "no Parsis, no Bombay," Tata jocularly said: "I don't know whether it is 'no Parsis, no Bombay'… but 'no Parsis, definitely no dhansak'."
The trademark Parsi dish, traditionally prepared with meat and flavoured with aromatic spices, and served with caramelised brown rice, came in for comment once again at the Tata Chemicals' AGM. In a lighter vein, Tata exhorted the crowd, "Everybody eating dhansak on Sundays will live as long as the Parsis live."
Winner of the Padma Bhushan (2000) and Padma Vibhushan (2008), Ratan Tata is to chair the Tata Global Beverages AGM on August 31 in Kolkata. This will be his last major Tata group company AGM.
At most of the recent AGMs, as the audience braced for an emotional farewell and Tata thanked everyone for their affection and warmth, his wry humour was always around. "Sorry, I have never been able to satisfy (Ashalata) Maheshwari on the bonus, but my successor will…," was his parting shot.
Keywords: annual general meetings, AGMs, Ratan Tata, Tata Motors' shareholder AGM, Ratan and Padma Bhushan in 2000 and Ratan and Padma Vibhushan in 2008
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