CBDT, tax tools make e-filing of I-T returns simpler

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CBDT also said that from now on a taxpayer would be able to make electronic payment of taxes not only from his own bank account but also from the account of any other person. However, the challan for making such payment must clearly indicate the PAN of the taxpayer on whose behalf the payment is to be made.

To aid taxpayers, several websites have also mushroomed which offer useful tools for e-filing. Some of these are taxshax.com, paisawaisa.com, etaxesindia.com, sinewave.co.in, taxsmile.com and taxspanner.com. These sites charge fees starting from Rs.181 annually. In addition, there are sites that offer to help the taxpayer compute his taxes for free. One such site is prominent financial news site Economic Times' (ET) Tax Wizard. With Tax Wizard, one can calculate tax for salaries, house property, capital gains and other sources (such as dividend, interests, etc.).

The ET Tax Wizard is a very useful tool as it helps the taxpayer proceed step by step, familiarizing him or her with various issues related to tax and giving the individual the best possible result. There are also FAQs that help resolve any query.

However, there is a catch: Tax Wizard will not be able to support the tax payer's requirement if he or she is not an Indian citizen, not an Indian resident and most importantly, has income from business or profession.

In other words, ET Tax Wizard is a free but simple tax-filing tool.

Though such sites have made filing tax returns simpler, yet, e-filing is not free of problems. According to several chartered accountants, the official website fir filing income tax returns - www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in - does not guide the tax payer with helpful tips and information and the portal's functioning gets disrupted even if minor typographic errors such as extra spacing between the words or usage of an incorrect date format occur.

In addition, the portal puts confidential information relating to a taxpayer at risk because anyone with knowledge of the taxpayer's Personal Account Number (PAN) and date of birth will be able to access the information.

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