Since every year 25-30 lakh new tax assesses are joining the income tax fold, the Finance Ministry has decided to help them file returns. The ministry will give licences to 5,000 graduates with basic accountancy skills to help people with an annual taxable income of up to Rs 3 lakh file returns, a senior official in the Finance Ministry told The Tribune.

Graduates with subjects like mathematics, statistics, accountancy, economics or computers would be eligible to work as tax return preparers(TRPs). There will be no age bar for applying under the scheme. Even retired people could apply for a licence.

Though these TRPs would not be employees of the government, they would be offered a 5 per cent commission on the income tax deposited by the new assesses in the first year, 3 per cent in the second year and 1.5 per cent in the third year.

The Finance Ministry would make it mandatory, said the official, for these TRPs to get nine-day training before getting the licence and three-day refresher training from time to time in view of the changes in tax laws.

The government expected the scheme not only to boost revenue collections but also encourage young couples file returns without
any hassles.

Like chartered accountants, there would be no restriction on the TRPs to charge other assesses for helping them file returns.