With the deadline for filing income-tax returns approaching, the response to online filing or e-filing of taxes has been lukewarm, say bankers.

A senior general manager of the Indian Overseas Bank said though the scheme was launched last year, the number of people filing their income-tax returns online was lower than what was expected by bankers.

Officials at the Bharat Overseas Bank and ICICI Bank also agreed that the response to the e-filing scheme was not good. They are of the view that the income tax department should create more awareness about the e-filing scheme.

A source in the income tax department attributed the poor response to the lack of awareness about the scheme among the people.

The source noted that more than the salaried class in the public sector, those in the private sector were availing of this facility.

The returns filed through this scheme had to be supported by a duly verified paper return of income, which acted as an impediment, a tax consultant explained.

E-filing of returns will enable salaried people to approach a designated bank with their tax challans or Form 16 and proof of savings. The bank will, in turn, file the returns to the income tax department electronically. A taxpayer must, however, have a Permanent Account Number to avail this facility.

The income tax department had introduced the scheme in August 2003 to allow salaried taxpayers to file their returns without having to come to the department.