The Hindu Business Line : Marginal rise in Kerala's tax collection

INCOME-TAX collections from Kerala went up marginally in 2004-05 to Rs 1,724 crore from the previous fiscal, according to Mr B. Ravibalan, Chief Commissioner of Income-Tax.

In 2003-04, income-tax collections in the State stood at Rs 1,712 crore, he told mediapersons here today at a press conference.

Through tax collections were up by Rs 12 crore in the fiscal, it was way short of the targeted Rs 2,303 crore, Mr Ravibalan said. For the current fiscal, a target of Rs 2,305 crore has been set.Of the three-crore-plus population in the State, only 8.5 lakh people pay tax, he said, adding that as much as 80-90 per cent of the tax payees have an annual income below Rs 5 lakh.

Help centre: As part of streamlining income-tax collections, the department is setting up help centres across the State to assist small business with income up to Rs 5 lakh in filing their tax returns.

The first such centre in Kerala would be inaugurated on July 4 here. The centre would be located at the first floor of the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Shanmugham Road.

The centre would assist people in filling income-tax returns, application for Permanent Account Number (PAN) and challan for payment of tax. The services would be free of charge.

Mr Ravibalan said the centre is not aimed at addressing grievances and will help small business tax payers only with their basic tax problems.

Such centres would soon start functioning in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur.

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