According to Joint Commissioner of Income Tax Rajeev Agarwal, the helpline provides written material on taxation of income from salary by facsimile. He said the material is in a simple question-answer format, framed by a panel of senior officers.

For using the helpline, the tax payer (caller) has to dial 2094444 from his fax machine. The computerised voice response will guide the caller to information on the desired subjects. The caller has the option of hearing the subject-list (menu) or receiving it by fax. After receiving the menu, the caller has to identify the subject to which his query relates. Pressing the subject code (two subjects can be chosen per call) on the fax as guided by the voice response will provide the caller the desired information instantly on his fax. The caller can jump theintermediate stages and reach the final stage, if he is aware of the subject codes.

Central Board of Direct Taxes chairman Ravikant, who inaugurated the helpline on Friday, said the system will help salaried employees in discharging their legal obligations and create a climate for compliance. According to Chief Commissioner Income Tax, Mumbai, B Mishra, who is the brain behind the system, the department observed that salaried employees were facing difficulties in filing their returns and had to look to various sources for answers. Mishra said the computerised helpline was conceived to cater to such employees' needs. He added the helpline is the first of its kind in the country.