Benefit under Section 80-D of Income Tax Act for CGHS Extended to Similar Schemes

Benefit under Section 80-D of Income Tax Act for CGHS Extended to Similar Schemes of the Central Government and State Governments

The Finance Bill 2013 proposes extension of benefits under Section 80-D of the Income Tax Act to such schemes of the Central Govt and State Govts that are similar to Central Govt. Health Scheme(CGHS). Presenting the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha today, the Finance Minister Shri P.Chidambaram said that contributions made to CGHS are eligible for deduction under Section 80-D of the Income Tax Act and he is proposing to extend the same benefit to similar schemes of the Central Govt and State Govt. The Finance Minister also announced that deductions made to the National Children’s Fund will now be eligible for 100% deduction.

The existing provisions of section 80D, inter alia, provide that the whole of the amount paid in the previous year out of the income chargeable to tax of the assessee, being an individual, to effect or to keep in force an insurance on his health or the health of the family or any contribution made towards the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) or any payment made on account of preventive health check-up of the assessee or his family, as does not exceed in the aggregate fifteen thousand rupees, is allowed to be deducted in computing the total income of the assessee.

It has been noticed that there are other health schemes of the Central and State Governments, which are similar to the CGHS but no deduction for such schemes is available to the subscribers of such schemes. In order to bring such schemes at par with the CGHS, it is proposed to amend section 80D, so as to allow the benefit of deduction under this section within the said limit, in respect of any payment or contribution made by the assessee to such other health scheme as may be notified by the Central Government.

This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2014 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment years.

Source : PIB, Text of Budget 2013-14