SARAL MAKES LIFE TOUGHER FOR TAXPAYERS

Eight years after it began its simplification drive with a two-page income tax return — Saral — the finance ministry has discovered that it has made life more tedious for taxpayers. Saral's purpose, for small taxpayers filing returns themselves, to ease the process has come in the form of comprehensive information that leaves room for many follow-up questions by the department. As a result of which, the taxpayer is harassed by questions on expenses unearthed during surveys, searches or even annual information returns. Says Mumbai-based chartered accountant, Akhilesh Bhargava, "Saral does not serve the purpose as it is just a summary statement of income and exemptions. It does not provide the department all details." Bhargava says, bulky forms, like those in US, would help capture the taxpayers' financial profile in detail, removing the need of getting back to the department every now and then for verifications