Every Tax Season Has a New Teacher
When we started our tax practice in 1990, our biggest
challenge was one shared by almost every young professional - finding clients.
We had plenty of time, but not enough people to serve. Fortunately, as the
years went by, our client base grew steadily and the practice found its
footing.
Looking back, what fascinates me is that every three or four
years the nature of our challenges changed completely. I suspect this has been
the experience of most tax professionals who have had the privilege of
witnessing India's economic transformation over the past three and a half
decades.
In the early years, almost every tax-related task required a
visit to the Income-tax office. Filing returns, purchasing blank challans and
return forms, following up on refunds, responding to notices - everything
involved paper, queues and, occasionally, a generous helping of patience. Those
who practised in that era will probably smile in recognition.
Then came computerisation. We were fortunate to embrace online
filing from the very first year it was introduced. Ironically, even after
filing returns electronically, we still had to physically submit the
acknowledgement at the tax office! Progress, it appeared, preferred taking one
cautious step at a time.
Technology solved many problems but introduced a fresh set of
challenges. During the filing season, the tax portal would sometimes slow to a
crawl, software developers scrambled to incorporate every legislative amendment.
Over the years, our practice evolved into a comfortable
rhythm. We diversified from direct and indirect taxation into financial
planning and wealth management, while every team member developed specialised
responsibilities. Tax laws, meanwhile, continued to keep us alert. Just when
one became comfortable, another amendment arrived to gently remind us that
complacency has never been recognised under the Income-tax Act.
This year's challenge, however, had nothing to do with
legislation or technology.
Our dependable "opening batsman", Jagruti, had to
proceed on medical leave for four to six months just before the busy filing
season.
For the past two years, I had happily settled into a
semi-retirement routine. My mornings were spent in the office for a couple of
hours, while the afternoons were reserved for client meetings, personal
commitments, reading, and other interests that had patiently
waited their turn over the years. Jagruti's unexpected absence meant that this
arrangement had to be temporarily shelved. I found myself spending longer hours
in the office once again - not because I was indispensable, but because the
team needed guidance, encouragement and the reassurance that we were all in
this together.
Hiring and training someone during the peak filing season was
neither practical nor sensible. Instead, something far more gratifying
happened.
Pooja and Prajkta stepped forward without hesitation, even
volunteering to work on Saturdays and Sundays. Dhawal and Manoj willingly
absorbed additional responsibilities. Our Bharadhwaj Investsmart colleagues - Tabassum
and Sanjiv - set aside an hour from their own schedules each day to support our
tax practice.
Watching the younger members of the team rise to the occasion
was immensely satisfying. Sometimes, challenging situations do more than test a
team - they quietly reveal its character.
The department, too, played its part by introducing staggered
due dates for different categories of returns. This allowed us to spread the
workload across non-business returns, business returns and audit cases, while
continuing to manage our regular GST and TDS assignments.
As I write this, it appears that we will meet all our
deadlines - not because the challenges disappeared, but because everyone chose
to contribute a little more than usual.
Thirty-five years in practice have taught me one enduring
lesson. Every tax season arrives with a fresh examination paper. The questions
are never the same. Some years they come disguised as new legislation, some
years as technology, and occasionally they arrive in the form of an unexpected
human challenge.
The answer, however, has remained remarkably consistent:
adapt, keep learning, trust your team, and support one another. After all,
while tax laws may change with every Finance Act, the real strength of a
professional practice lies in the people who stand together when the filing
season becomes just a little more interesting.