HC notice to finmin over non-CA tax preparers

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued notices to the finance ministry and the director general of IT on a petition challenging the scheme of associating trained, but non-chartered accountants as ‘tax return preparers’ (TRPs).

The court on Monday sought replies from the concerned authorities after taking into account the submission of the petitioner that employing such non-professionals impinges upon the turf of CAs.

A division bench comprising justices MK Sharma and Hema Kohli asked the concerned authorities to file the replies within two weeks. The TRP scheme envisages training jobless, but educated youth in the trade of preparing and filing IT returns on behalf of tax paying individuals.

The petitioner contended that the scheme introduced by the ministry encroached upon the jurisdiction of chartered accountants, while claiming that they alone were eligible to prepare tax returns.

The petitioner also sought directions to the finance ministry to prohibit filing of income tax returns by such TRPs.

As per the scheme, the TRPs, who get only nine days of training on preparation and filing of IT returns, would get 3% commission on the tax collected for the new assesses as remuneration.