Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 24: Former Chief Justice of High Court of Sikkim Permod Kohli today laid stress on making Income Tax Act simpler so that common masses can easily understand their responsibilities enshrined under the law towards the nation building.
Delivering key note address during a seminar on topic “role of direct taxes in nation building” organized by the Income Tax Department, J&K Circle on the occasion of 158th Income Tax Day, Justice (retd) Kohli said, “Income Tax Act is very complex and there is a need to make it simpler so that every countryman understands it easily and voluntarily come forward to play role in nation building by paying tax”.
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“Nation building is linked with building of resources and everybody has an important role to play in this regard”, he said, adding “direct taxes have assumed more significance for the developing countries like India with the launch of more and more schemes for the socio-economic improvement of the masses”.
Stating that Income Tax is a compulsory activity for every Indian, former Chief Justice said, “contours of the nation building have gone multiple changes during the past some decades with much focus on socio-economic conditions of the people and subsequent enactment of more and more laws”.
“For the success of each and every scheme aimed at increasing the socio-economic condition of the people we need to increase resources and the same is possible only when every individual pay tax as per exact income and help in widening base of direct taxes”, he further said.
Justice (retd) Kohli further said that there was wrong notion among the people in the country that they are paying more tax as compared to citizens in other countries. “The fact is that in India tax rates are far less in comparison to other nations and everybody should play role in nation building by paying taxes”, he stressed.
In his address, Chief Commissioner of Income Tax Amritsar Narender Singh said that purpose behind celebrating Income Tax Day was to generate awareness among the people about the legal obligation of paying income tax for the development of the country.
“We must understand that whatever we pay in the form of tax comes back in the shape of developmental works and other schemes aimed at improving socio-economic condition of the people”, he further said, adding “successive Governments in the country have played their role in making the income tax laws simpler and still lots of efforts are on in this regard so that common masses easily understand their responsibility”.
Seeking the help of Chartered Accountants, Income Tax lawyers and trade bodies in increasing the tax base, he said that Income Tax Department has always been tax payers friendly and a number of steps have been initiated for the convenience of the assesses.
Principal Commissioner of Income Tax J&K Circle R N Sahay, while delivering welcome address, said that J&K Circle of the department has not only achieved the targets fixed by the Central Board of Direct Taxes but also exceeded the same due to the cooperation extended by the assesses.
President Chamber of Commerce and Industry, President Income Tax Bar Association, Chairman, J&K Branch NIRC of ICAI and others also spoke on the occasion. S K Sharma, Additional Commissioner of Income Tax delivered the vote of thanks.
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