Collection of Advance Tax - Extension of Working Hours on Saturday and Sunday

ALL INDIA BANK OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION

MIN:RBI:99:2013                                                                                 September 14, 2013

                                                                                                             [Confirmation of FAX]

The Secretary

Department of Financial Services

Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India

Jeevan Deep, 3^rd Floor, Parliament Street

NEW DELHI-110 001

  

Sir,

           Collection of Advance Tax- Extension of Working hours

           on 14.09.2013 and Holiday working on 15.09.2013

Our attention has been drawn to the instructions of Ministry of Finance given to RBI with a copy endorsed to the Chairman, Indian Banks’ Association that Bank branches are to be kept open on the Saturday the 14^th September 2013 as well as on the Sunday the 15^th September 2013 to facilitate the Tax payers to pay the Advance Tax for the quarter ending 30.09.2013.

Payment of quarterly Tax payment is a statutory obligation / requirement by such tax payers.   They are expected to clear the payment well in advance and not at the last day fixed already by the authorities and also notified to all concerned.

The instructions of Government directing the functioning of Bank offices in Kerala in particular has certainly affected the religious sentiments of the workforce as the “State Festival - ONAM” is falling on that day ie; 15^th September 2013.

While facilitating the tax collection at the designated Bank branches is considered as nation building exercise, still the following alternatives are to be considered by the Government, to avoid the reoccurrence once again.

 a] Extension of the date from 15.09.2013 to 16.09.2013 for payment of Advance Tax.

b]Officers who undertake the job to attend to the assignment on 14^th and 15^th September 2013 should be adequately compensated in the form of out of pocket expenses on both days coupled with one day compensatory off for working on “SUNDAY”.

c]Once the first option is considered the workforce at Kerala would be automatically relieved of the peculiar situation.

 We request you to consider our suggestions and appropriate instructions to RBI and to IBA Chairman may please be sent, for which, we shall ever remain obliged.

Yours faithfully,

  

/S.NAGARAJAN/

GENERAL SECRETARY

Copy to:

 The Chairman, Indian Banks’ Association, Mumbai

The Chairman & Managing Director of Public/Private Sector Banks