NIIT and Department of Income Tax strengthen partnership to create a certified pool of – Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)
Announce Batch II for training 5000 Graduates as Tax Return Preparers across the country
Enhance pan-India reach to deliver training through 88 cities and 110 training centres
Scope enhanced to include TDS settlements & becoming e-return intermediaries
New Delhi, July 13, 2012: NIIT Limited, leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia’s largest IT trainer, strengthened their partnership with the Department of Income Tax (DIT), to create a pool of trained and certified Tax Return Preparers (TRPs) across the country as part of the Tax Return Preparers Scheme (TRPS). TRPS is an initiative by the Department of Income Tax, Government of India to increase awareness of tax laws through larger community participation, with NIIT being mandated to train and certify Tax Return Preparers (TRPs) across the country.
NIIT will utilize its nationwide network to test graduates across 110 locations, and select 5000 candidates who will undergo a rigorous training programme on Income Tax filing procedures.
The trained candidates will be referred to as ‘Certified Tax Return Preparers’ and will obtain an unique Identification Number from the Dept. of Income Tax, which will authorize them under Income Tax Act, 1961 to work as self-employed Tax Return Preparers.
The Tax Return Preparers are meant to file returns of individual and HUF income tax assesses as well as file TDS returns of small and medium enterprises in the lower income category. This would be the second batch of TRPs being trained by NIIT. The cost of training will be borne by ITD and the selected candidates will not be required to pay for the training. And the scope now stands widened to include TDS & Service Tax Returns. DIT has further included TRPs as qualified e-returns intermediaries.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Amitabh Kumar, DIT (PR, PP & OL) Department of Income Tax said, “The Tax Return Preparers Scheme was conceptualized with an objective to simplify the Tax filing procedures for the benefit of the tax payers. Encouraged with the initial success we are pleased to extend the scope this year with NIIT, whose expertise in training delivery, will help create a qualified pool of skilled Tax Return Preparers.”
Launched by the Income Tax Department in 2006, Tax Return Preparer Scheme (TRPS) is aimed at raising the level of awareness and compliance amongst marginal tax payers. The founding objectives include - providing an employment avenue for unemployed or partially employed graduates and reduction the cost of compliance for small tax payers – leading to an increased assessee base for the Government.
NIIT trained 5000 TRPs in the first batch and 3737 TRPs were certified after undergoing a rigorous selection process, training and certification exam. The TRPs were certified to prepare tax returns for individual and HUFs. Department of Income Tax has strengthened their partnership with NIIT this year, to deliver the training across 88 cities in India and to provide support to the TRPs after the training.
Commenting on the initiative Mr. Manish Mohan, Business Unit Head, India Enterprise Learning Solutions, NIIT said, “It gives us immense pleasure to extend our association with Department of Income Tax for the second batch of TRPs. Through this association, we look forward to working together with the Income Tax Department to encourage more people to file their returns within the stipulated time, and also provide career opportunities to the unemployed youth.”
A graduate in one of the select disciplines can apply for this scheme. The training will begin with a 15-day self study period through the online Learning Management System and the handbooks, followed by 11 days classroom training. The training blends case-study illustrations, task based interactive and close to real life practice exercises in order to perform the job more efficiently. The training content will be created by experts and the training will be delivered by tax professionals.
Graduates who successfully complete the training and certification exam will be issued a Certificate and a Unique Identification number which will authorize them under the Income Tax Act, 1961 to work as self employed Tax Return Preparers (TRPs). The Tax Preparers will also assist the Department in other taxpayer initiatives like Aayakar Sewa Kendra, Tax Kiosks, Customer Contact Centre, Register for Home Visits, E-return intermediaries and E-filing utilities for TRPs.
Graduates interested in this scheme can apply by visitingwww.trpscheme.com.
About TRPS
TRPS is an initiative by the Department of Income Tax, Government of India to increase awareness of tax laws by enhancing community participation. The TRPs are put through rigorous training program on Income Tax filing procedures along with usage of software and on-line tools. The curriculum was designed by experts and NIIT’s instructional design methodology. The successful candidates, now referred as ‘Certified Tax Return Preparers’ obtain a unique Identification Number from the Income Tax department.
The training conducted is, “End to End” from identification of opportunity to filing of claim, introduction to policy, market identification and lead generation, handling of taxpayer situations, introduction to scheme to taxpayers, filling up of ITR forms, TDS forms, credit mechanism, rewards etc.
To help TRPs file returns, a helpdesk manned by tax experts has also been set up. Further details about TRPs are available through a dedicated portalwww.trpscheme.com