Include CAs in essential services category:ICAI

Nagpur, April 10

A delegation of Nagpur branch of WIRC of ICAI led by chairman CA Saket Bagdia and former vice –chairman of WIRC CA Julfesh Shah met guardian minister of Nagpur district Dr Nitin Raut and submitted a memorandum to him urging to include CA services in essential service category.

The delegation apprised him of various important services that need to be rendered by CAs and their staff in March. CA Bagdia also brought to the notice of Dr Nitin Raut that during the aforesaid period due date for paying advance income tax by business houses is March 15. (March 13 and March 14 was already under lockdown) and due date for filing and paying .tax under GSTR3B returns is March 20, apart from checking and planning year-end activity for all business people before the end of current financial year on March 31. All these activities are part of revenue generation for government. Chartered accountants who are the architects of ensuring financial discipline in country are involved in facilitating clients to pay advance tax and file and pay GST tax.

Owing to this lockdown, all these financial activities would come to a standstill as well as works would be hampered heavily.

Hence the delegation urged Dr Raut to allow chartered accountants along with their staff which includes CA articles to work in their offices in times of lockdown, assuring that all COVID protocols- which include maintaining social distancing, using hand sanitisers, using masks and all other norms are duly followed. Vice-chairman CA Jiten Saglani, secretary CA Sanjay M. Agrawal, past chairman CA Suren Duragkar and AdvManoj Moryani were present on the occasion.