The Central Board of Direct Taxes is keen on an image makeover. To implement the concept of "tax help at your doorstep", the CBDT has decided to allow salaried taxpayers and pensioners to use the services of its help centres, a concept introduced on a pilot basis only for small businessmen last year.

Help centres were set up at 118 locations in the previous year. This year, the board has decided to increase the number to 300. It has already trained around 650 of its tax personnel to handle queries on filing tax returns.

The department is also talking to the Institute of Chartered Accountants to volunteer for these help centres, as they are to be operated through a public-private partnership.

The help centres will be operational for two months starting June 15 and for one month in March to help people file  tax returns.

New I-T return may mean headache

These centres will not accept tax returns, but will only assist in filing returns and accept applications for permanent account numbers, officials said. The department will initiate an advertising campaign this week to create awareness about the centres.

Last year the CBDT received 65,000 queries at its help centres from small businessmen. The response was particularly good in places like Goa which received 1,205 queries, Solapur with 1,361, Pune with 2,171, Murshidabad with 2,103, Bhopal with 2,875, and Amritsar with 2,302 queries.

"The centres which elicited no responses will be relocated this year. We have asked our file formations to identify suitable locations for these centres. They have been directed to seek cooperation from local associations like vyapar mandals, bar associations and NGOs," an official said.

As per the CBDT plan this year, seven help centres will be located in Delhi, 12 in Mumbai, eight in Kolkata and 58 in Chandigarh.

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