The Income Tax Department has come out with a series of board games, puzzles and comic books in an attempt to spread tax literacy among children and make them learn the nuances of filing taxes.
Union Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman launched the initiative at the closing ceremony of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Iconic Week in Panaji, Goa, and the Income Tax Department later announced the launch in a series of Tweets.
One of the games is based on the ever-popular snakes and ladders theme, which introduces the children to the good and bad habits in respect of taxes and financial transactions.
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There are also 3D puzzles, collaborative strategy games, and digital comic books on the same theme of taxation.
The India Gate puzzle consists of 30 pieces, each containing information about the various terms and concepts related to taxation. When joined correctly, they take the shape of a three-dimensional structure of India Gate conveying the message that taxes build India.
The collaborative game by the name of Building India introduces the children to the concept of importance of paying taxes through the use of 50 memory cards, which are based on infrastructure and social projects. They aim to convey the message that taxation is collaborative in nature and not competitive.
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The income tax department has also collaborated with Lot Pot Comics and used their very popular Motu-Patlu characters to spread awareness about concepts of income and taxation among children and young adults through their very colourful, fun and rib-tickling dialogues.
The products will be initially distributed to schools through the network of Income Tax offices spread across the country. A proposal to distribute them through bookstores is also being worked out, according to a report in News 18.
“Moving beyond text-based literature, awareness seminars, and workshops, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) has adopted a novel approach to spread tax literacy through ‘learn by play’ methods. CBDT has brought out products to introduce concepts related to taxation, often perceived to be complicated, to high school students through board Games, puzzles and comics,” the report quoted a press statement from the Press Information Bureau.
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