Viewing/ Downloading of Form 16 & Form 16A by Taxpayers from “TRACES”
Dear Sir/ Madam, I found it very very difficult all the times to get Form 16 A & Form 16 ( pension earnings) from the Banks. Every time with lot of visits, time and transport only we are able to get these forms from the banks. Following are the reasons given by the officers of Bank on different occasions. 1. Please come tomorrow or some other time, right now I am busy. Why u have come during business hours as this is not a financial transaction? 2. What sir, you could have come during the business hours; Now I am busy with my pending work and I have to do my day end work in the system.( 1 & 2 will be interchanged conveniently) 3. Sir, give me your phone number, I will call u ,then u can come. Sir, You are now retired, you will be having more time to visit us happily(but u will never get a phone call from the bank) 4. What sir, this year they have extended the last date for filing income tax return till 31st August. Don’t you know? Why you are in a hurry? We will give, Don't worry. Come on some other day when the crowd is less( I cannot sit and watch the crowd in the Bank daily to get the these forms). 5. What sir, Why you are worried about Form 16, the amount will be whatever the pension credit available in savings account, you can very well download the statement of your savings account from Internet Banking or get the passbook from the counter staff. Simple, why you are bothering yourself? 6. Sir, today my printer is not working; I cannot take print out from other printers as I will be disturbing them to log in in their nodes. You please come on some other time. 7. Form 16 A- 1. You could have got it every quarter; now it is difficult to get it printed for all the 4 quarters. 2. Sir, after the end of the financial year you can get all the 4 Form 16 A together. Don't worry. ( 1 & 2 will be interchanged conveniently) 8. Of course, the above one is my experience with my branch of the Bank; but my friends (retired- of course senior citizens) with some other branch of the Bank is getting all the above without any hassles and of much wait. Only I have to curse myself having selected the branch and waiting for a time that a better officer/staff will be replaced, as the branch is nearer to my home. Further I have to console myself saying: A Known xxxxx is better than an unknown xxxxx. 9. However having experienced all the above, I wanted to bring it to your notice and to find some solutions. Many of your staff, colleagues & friends would have experienced the above situations, I believe strongly; In this days of technology up gradation, a technological solution will save paper, time, travel & energy. 1. I wish to suggest that these Form 16 & Form 16 A can be made available for downloading from TRACES by the registered users giving their PAN numbers. 2. This will solve the problems faced both by the Taxpayers and the bank staff as well. 3. Downloading from TRACES and saving the forms in their computer will save lot of paper. 4. Viewing & downloading of Form 16 & Form 16 A can be made available for view/download as it is done in the case of Form 26 AS.
When this is an experience of Retired Bank Officer, imagine the status of others.
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