~My experiments in claiming Income Tax Refund~. Review on Tips on Income Tax Return

Prelude Let me confess to you - My knowledge regarding Income Tax Return filing is rudimentary. My sincere apologies for those who are interested in the advice from connoisseurs in this field. This is an honest and humble scribbling of someone who started earning his livelihood for last ten years and religiously filed his Income Tax Returns without fail. Also, this is an account of his plight to claim excess tax deducted during the accounting year 2008-09 amounting to Rs.95,247/-

Income Tax Return Filing All of us can file the returns from April to end of July (which could be extended to one or two months). Majority of us are experts in the art of “procrastination” and hence wait for the very last day to file the returns. Being the one who is not having any source of income other than salary (not even investment in equity), the only attachment with my tax return would be the Form 16issued by the employer. (Twice, it happened like I was the signatory authority in Form 16 also, that gave me some secret pleasure)

There are many methods to file your return ranging from e-filing, approaching consultants, directly submitting the same to the appropriate jurisdiction. Whichever method you adopt, make it sure that you have filed the same in the right tax jurisdiction and you shall not fial to collect acknowledgement, which is stamped and signed by the tax officer.

No flaws from my side - I am having the acknowledgement stamped by Income Tax Officer, Circle 7and the amount of refund is Rs.95,427/-

Waiting Period I was waiting for last 12 months to get this amount credited in my account. I have received the following advises from Financial Wizards

a) You need not claim the money in any format. Filing the return is enough and the department will credit the amount in your account - Fair enough. But when? Oops, it is sin to even fixing time frame while dealing with Govt. Departments

b) Make a deal. You might have to pay ten percent of the refund amount to accelerate the process - My foot! Not my way!

c) You can seek information regarding the reason behind the delay and any other relevant information as per Right to Information Act, 2005.As per this act, there is a designated officer in all Government Departments who are supposed to give you explanation within 30 days of filing the application. - Fair enough, let me try my luck!

RTI Experiences I have registered in a website http://www.rtiindia.org and experienced goose bumps reading the success stories. Finally, I got an excellent format in which I can file the application. (Anyone having similar problem can approach me to have the copy of this format).

Along with the application, you have to attach IPO for Rs.10/- or Cheque for Rs.10/- in favour of "Commissioner of Income Tax, Pune". They are required to get me the information within 30 days failing to which I have the right to file an appeal.

At first I have approached the Income Tax Office in Sadhu Waswani Chowk. I would like to extend my sincere thanks to the lady officer Mrs. Deshpande who guided me to their office in Karve Road.

I was amazed to see the "Pandal" outside the office. I have almost misunderstood this as some celebration but later on realised that it was nothing but "Tax Return Filing Mela"

I have approached two officers about the person whom I have to meet to file application as per provisions of RTI Act. Responses were "RTI, Wo kya hota hai?" "Ab kuch bhi nahi hoga, Come after 1 August as we are busy receiving returns. Can't you see we work on Saturday also??"

Finally, I found a saviour who guided me to Dy. Commissioner of Income Tax, Mr. Prashant Gadekar. I have handed over the application to him and he smiled "Itni si baat keliye RTI? Kya Zarurat hai?"

Oh - means, he was about to solve my problem! He summoned a junior person and asked to get the status. Finally, I got the goldern information "Pune Income Tax Office didnot even start the refund process for 2008-09. They are about to close for 2007-08"

Sajit - "Ok, so please accept my application and I will wait for the repy!"

Dy. Commissioner Income Tax- "See, I told you that I understood your issue. But you should understand my problem. I took charge of this office only before one month. I started streamlining everything. I have got only five people working with me. There was a system crash and the refund work was frozen for four months. Please understand"

Sajit - "Sir, I dont have any solution to the problems faced by your department. But, I have waited for one year and the amount is big. So, like a common man, I would like to file an application."

Dy. Commissioner Income Tax - "See, this will go against me. If I have to answer all the queries which you have asked, my time will be wasted on this. Instead of that, let me try to work on your refund issue."

This futile discussion continued for 30 minutes where in he spilled out many things like "I am also a Computer Engineer" (Thank God, future system crash downs can by handled by a techie commissioner) "Daily, minimum five people like you come here! Nothing was in place in this office. Seems I got a punishment transfer in Pune"

Finally I asked him "Where are you hailing from?"

I got an amazing answer "Pune" -

Punishment transfer to hometown! Hurray!

Finally, I have agreed to give him time till 10 August - just because he gave me a patient audience and never tried into "enter into deal". I appreciate his attitude to help but at the same time cannot be sympathetic to the handicaps faced by his department.

Contd in comments ---