CA Aspirant Shares Frustration Over Friends Seeking Free ITR Help

Manthan Raichura expresses frustration over friends only contacting him for free ITR filing help.

With the deadline for filing Income Tax Returns (ITR) for the assessment year 2024-25 fast approaching on July 31, many people are asking their accountant friends for help. Manthan Raichura, a Chartered Accountancy (CA) student, recently took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his frustration about friends who only contact him when they need assistance.

I take no shame in asking for ITR filing fees. It is that time of the year when some unrelated relatives and old disconnected "friends" will call/text for their selfish reason. Why should I feed my time to keep an inexistent relation? #ITR #ITRseason pic.twitter.com/3VotKFzTOz

— Manthan Raichura 🇮🇳 (@heymanthan) June 23, 2024

Raichura shared a screenshot of a conversation with an old acquaintance who hadn’t been in touch for a long time. The conversation started with a simple “Hello,” and quickly moved to the acquaintance asking for help with filing his ITR. “I take no shame in asking for ITR filing fees. It is that time of the year when some unrelated relatives and old disconnected ‘friends’ will call/text for their selfish reasons. Why should I waste my time to keep an inexistent relationship?” Raichura wrote.

In the chat, the acquaintance messaged Raichura, who responded, curious about the sudden contact. The acquaintance then asked in Hindi, “Yes, I wanted to file the ITR.” Raichura promptly asked for details and mentioned his fee. The acquaintance, surprised by the fee, asked, “Oh, I have to pay a fee? How much?” Raichura told him the amount, and the acquaintance decided not to proceed, saying “Leave it.”

Raichura’s post quickly gained attention online. One user commented, “I asked my CA friend to file only after you take money. It’s his source of earning; I can’t expect him to do it for free.” Another user added, “Same for doctors, bro! Why should such people be given free treatment after spending so many years in medical training? Good one. Keep it up.” Some supported Raichura’s stance, with one user saying, “Even my best friend charges me for filing my ITR, and I pay him happily.” Another user remarked, “Very direct, your friend. Bro didn’t get the sarcasm of ‘it’s been a long time since you remembered me.'”

However, not all reactions were positive. One user wrote, “Thank God I don’t have a CA friend like you. He’s a friend of 24 years, and we’ve met only thrice in the last 18 years, yet he just asks for my Form 16 and does the honour. I’m blessed to have friends like him.” Another user offered a different perspective: “My take on this. You are entitled to charge for your work and time. But we have to take care of our relationships too. Agree the friend was not in contact much, but you may not know his struggles. So even the decline should be proper and respectful.”