Universally taxed by TDS

S Ganesh, counsel for Sahara in the case before the Supreme Court, was explaining the "tax deducted at source" (TDS) mechanism at some length to the court. When judge K S Radhakrishnan interrupted to point out that the the data could be checked on the income tax department website, Ganesh returned a pained answer. "The site is full of loopholes, your honour. If you rely on it then the money is gone forever. That is why chartered accountants say go after the client's blood and get the TDS certificate," he explained. At which Aryama Sundaram, another Sahara lawyer, stood up and said, "Ganesh is now reflecting on his personal problem." As everyone laughed, Radhakrishnan agreed that the problem was universal. "The Supreme Court also faced it last year," he said.