|
- By Parinda News Bureau, March 01, 2006, 14:32 IST
Mumbai: Be prepared to answer the doorbell to an IT officer. Very soon the IT department will be sending a questionnaire to parents paying anything between Rs.25,000 and Rs. One lakh annually as school fees.
The I-T department wants to know if parents sending their children to ‘high fee’ schools account for this expenditure or not. PAN Numbers and copy of previous year’s tax returns will be checked.
Chief income-tax commissioner, Mumbai, H Tulsyan said, school authorities will be asked to give names and addresses of all parents. They will try to find out if the fees for reputed schools are being paid from accounted income.
SSC schools have fees in the range of Rs. 350 – Rs.500 per month. ICSE syllabus charge Rs.1,500 – Rs.2,000 per month. International Schools such as Dhirubhai Ambani International School, ICICI School at BKC and Billabong High School are also known to charge higher fees.
Schools are being picked from various parts of the city and the suburbs.
Parents are a bit apprehensive about the move and feel that they already declare their income and this is nothing but an infringement to their privacy. The I-T department should refrain from such an exercise.
Mumbai contributed a huge Rs.42,136 crore to the country’s IT coffers last year. This year special vigil is being kept on those throwing sumptuous parties and even those buying expensive gifts in the form of paintings etc., and the I-T department has set a target of Rs.57,000 crore from the city.
| 
