INDIA: Filing Income tax returns - Elderly sail through with NGO

. CHANDIGARH / The Times of India / News / July 31, 2009 By Shimona Kanwar, Times News Network As money continues to remain a reason for contentment as well as discord especially during the twilight of one’s life, senior citizens in the city are taking the road less taken as far as filing of income-tax returns is concerned. The filing of I-T returns by 635 such senior citizens in the Tricity through an NGO reveals more than what meets the eye. From routine problems like cumbersome documentation process to not-so-obvious ones like preference for non-disclosure of income, the elderly had different reasons for approaching ‘Dadadadi’, an advocacy organization that works for improving the lives of adults above 60 years. ‘Dadadadi’ took the initiative to help senior citizens with paperwork and submission of forms ahead of I-T returns. Under the service that was provided free of cost, accountants helped the elderly in filing their returns. For this, a special helpline number was also disseminated. Jorawer Singh, founder of the NGO, said, “I roped in few dedicated accountants from among my office staff. We only asked senior citizens to furnish documents stated in the checklist while filing return. The rest of work was done by us.” Interestingly, most senior citizens found the option to their advantage. “These tax returns divulge economic affairs that one may not like others to know about. We had been asked to keep this information confidential. There were cases where some elderly couples told us that they did not want their children to know about their property or investments,” added Jorawer. Also, right guidance can help in saving a lot of tax. Life-saving investments can help in getting refund amount from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), besides providing financial cushion during the twilight of their life. Prem Kumar, a septuagenarian, said, “I managed to save Rs 4,000 due to timely advise on some LIC funds.” Read earlier report about DadDadi With retired accountants and five volunteers especially trained to help residents understand the nitty gritty of tax regulations, the NGO has managed to make a breakthrough of sorts in the mindscape of senior citizens. “The volunteers first attended a training by the IRS in tax regulations, followed by lessons in electronic filing of I-T returns,” said Vijay Mehra, volunteer with the NGO. Jasmeet Kaur, a member with ‘Dadadadi’, said, “The advent of electronic filing has made the process much easier and quicker. It only takes a maximum of two weeks to deposit funds into a bank account.” [rc] Copyright © 2009 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd