Press Release

2013

The Directorate of Income Tax and NIIT award certificates to the 2nd Batch of Tax Return Preparers (TRPs)Adds 3,685 specialists to the existing pool of certified TRPsAim to bring convenience of Tax filing to the doorsteps of Tax payers across the country
New Delhi, February 6, 2013: The Directorate of Income Tax and NIIT Limited, leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia’s largest IT trainer, certified and felicitated the 2nd batch of successful students of Tax Return Preparer Scheme (TRPS), at a function held in the city today.

Certificates to 40 TRPs from Delhi/ NCR were given away by Shri S.S. Palanimanickam, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance (Revenue), Government of India (GOI). Also present on the occasion were Shri S. S. Rana, Member Personnel & Vigilance and Revenue; Shri U K Shukla, DG (Admin), Mr. P. Rajendran, Chief Operating Officer, NIIT Ltd, and Manish Mohan, Head, India Enterprise Learning Solutions, NIIT Ltd.

TRPS is an initiative by The Directorate of Income Tax (DIT), Government of India, to increase awareness and compliance amongst taxpayers through larger community participation.

NIIT has been mandated by DIT to train and certify Tax Return Preparers (TRPs) across the country. These TRPs are certified to file returns of individual and HUF income tax assessees as well as file TDS & Service Tax Returns of Small and Medium Enterprises.

Shri S.S. Palanimanickam, Hon’ble Minister of State for Finance (Revenue), GOI, congratulated the graduating batch of TRPs and wished them success in their career. He applauded TRPS as a unique initiative to increase the tax payer base of the country, along with increasing employability of graduates.

NIIT utilized its nationwide network to test graduates across the country, and selected 5000 candidates who underwent a rigorous training programme on Income Tax filing procedures. The successful candidates will be referred to as ‘Certified Tax Return Preparers’ and will obtain an unique Identification Number from DIT, which will authorize them under Income Tax Act, 1961 to work as self-employed Tax Return Preparers.

Addressing the students, Shri S. S. Rana, Member Personnel & Vigilance and Revenue said, “I take this opportunity to congratulate all candidates who have successfully cleared the training. The TRP scheme was conceptualized with the objective to simplify Tax filing procedures for the benefit of tax payers. With NIIT’s proven expertise in training delivery, this initiative is helping us create a pool of certified tax preparers.”

Speaking on the occasion Mr. P. Rajendran, Chief Operating Officer, NIIT Ltd. said, “This unique and innovative scheme of Directorate of Income Tax will provide new career and self-employment opportunities for educated youth. Additionally, more people in the middle income groups will get encouraged to file their tax returns in time and at an affordable cost. I would like to thank the Directorate of Income Tax for their continued confidence in NIIT to execute this program for the second batch of the Tax Return Preparers Scheme."

Launched by The Directorate of Income Tax in 2006, 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 reducing 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.

About TRPS
TRPS is an initiative by The Directorate 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, referred to as ‘Certified Tax Return Preparers’, obtain a unique Identification Number from DIT.

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. The scope of TRPs has now been included to include TDS settlements & becoming e-return intermediaries.

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

About NIIT
NIIT Limited, a leading Global Talent Development Corporation and Asia’s premier IT trainer, offers learning and knowledge solutions across 38 countries. Leading IT journal Dataquest has conferred upon NIIT the ‘Top IT Training Company’ award successively for the past 20 years, since the inception of this category.

NIIT’s Individual Learning Business offerings include industry-endorsed programs for students seeking careers in IT – GNIIT and Edgeineers, and Global Net Plus for IT professionals. The company has introduced “India’s first cloud campus”, through its new-age GNIIT program. This offers students a higher mobility as they can access courseware using Netbooks to connect seamlessly to NIIT’s Cloud Campus network.

NIIT’s Corporate Learning Solutions offers Managed Training Services including integrated learning solutions (strategic consulting, learning design, content development, delivery, technology, assessment and learning management) to Fortune 500 companies, Universities, Technology companies, Training corporations and Publishing houses.

NIIT Yuva Jyoti, a joint venture between NIIT and NSDC, offers vocational skills training programs to enhance employability of youth across India.

NIIT has provided computer-based learning to over 16,500 government and private schools. The futuristic NIIT NGuru range of learning solutions for schools comprises Interactive Classrooms, Math Lab, IT Wizard programs and Quick School (Education Resource Planning software).

NIIT Imperia - Centre for Advanced Learning, offers Executive Learning Programs in association with leading Business schools in India, KPMG, Google India and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), using the synchronous learning platform.

NIIT Institute of Finance Banking & Insurance (IFBI), formed by NIIT with equity participation from ICICI Bank, offers programs for individuals and corporates in Banking, Financial Services and Insurance.

NIIT Institute of Process Excellence Limited, a NIIT-GENPACT venture (NIIT Uniqua), offers complete training outsourcing services to the Business Process, Knowledge and Technology Services industry to create business models that enhance productivity and lower costs.

NIIT has been ranked among the ‘Top 10 India’s Best Companies to Work for- 2012’ by Great Places to Work Institute and ‘Top 10 Best Employers in India- 2011’ by Aon Hewitt. The company has also been voted the second most trusted education brand in India by Brand Equity- Nielsen Survey 2011.

For media queries, please contact:
Prateek Chatterjee
Vice President, Corporate Communications & Marketing, NIIT Limited
Ph: (Cell) +91 9910201085, (Dir) +91 124 4293041
Email:prateek.chatterjee@niit.com
Reema Bardhan
Corporate Communications & Marketing, NIIT Limited
Ph: (Cell) +91 9891267470
Email:reema.bardhan@niit.com