As an advisor to FINO I have to collect service tax on my advisory fee and pay it to the Service Tax department which is part of the Central Excise Department. I need to get registered and get a service tax number.

By now I know I should just ask my tax advisor to do it for me but I decide to see if I can do it my own. I go to the website which does not help me at all. There is a helpline so i call it and say I had questions on Service Tax. The person tells me that this is the excise department and he has no clue about service tax. I wonder why this number is on the web as a helpline number for service tax….

This is not a complaint but I see this as an opportunity… This may be wishful thinking but I think some Indian consumers may want instant gratification and to not have to call on their tax advisors for mundane things … while others may want to go to tax advisors. A well designed site could serve both… those who want to go direct and for those who want to go to tax advisors … tax advisors could use the site.

I am just using this as a design example….

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