Kites turn tools to encourage income declaration

Winds of change

In a move to encourage people to declare their income and pay taxes, the Income Tax (I-T) Department of Karnataka and Goa organised a kite festival on the theme ‘Income Declaration Scheme 2016 - Declare and Fly High’.

A 15-foot-high and 15-foot-wide kite with the banner of the IDS scheme floated in the sky as international kite flyers V K Rao and Niranjan Rao Kadam took part in the festival, teaching adults and children the art of flying kites. Free kites were given to the first 50 children. Kites of different colours and types were available at the stalls put up at the Gayathri Vihar in Palace Grounds.

Rao, who organises fests and clubs to teach youngsters kite-flying, said, “I am glad the Income Tax Department has taken this initiative as the knowledge and interest in kite flying among children these days is waning.”

The sky was dotted with dragon kites and kites with the national flag on them.

Kadam, who won the second prize at the International Kite Festival in China, masterfully manipulated the two strings of the acrobatic kite to make it flip and do somersaults, as kids watched in fascination.

Explaining the idea behind associating IDS with kites, income tax officer S Gururaj said, “Kites fly high. When people declare their income and pay their taxes, they can be tension-free and fly high too. Simultaneously, a conference on the scheme addressed by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was attended by members of trade and commerce bodies, chartered accountants and income tax officers.

“Not just children, several officers and tax commissioners also enjoyed flying kites. We had planned for Jaitley also to participate, but time did not permit it.” Gururaj said.

The IDS scheme provides an opportunity to those who have not paid full taxes in the past to declare the undisclosed income and pay 45 per cent of the same as tax, surcharge and penalty.