Income Tax 2013-14 – Changes in Budget affecting salaried class

Income Tax 2013-14 – Changes made in Income Tax Provisions in the Union Budget 2013-14 which would affect Salaried Class

Income tax structure and provisions relating to Central Government Employees and pensioners for the year 2013-14 (Assessment Year 2014-15)

D. RELIEF AND WELFARE MEASURES

Rebate of Rs 2000 for individuals having total income up to Rs 5 lakh

With a view to provide tax relief to the individual tax payers who are in lower income bracket, it is proposed to provide rebate from the tax payable by an assessee, being an individual resident in India, whose total income does not exceed five lakh rupees. The rebate shall be equal to the amount of income-tax payable on the total income for any assessment year or an amount of two thousand rupees, whichever is less. Consequently any individual having income up to Rs 2,20,000 will not be required to pay any tax and every individual having total income above Rs. 2,20,000/- but not exceeding Rs. 5,00,000/- shall get a tax relief of Rs. 2000/-.

Section 87 has also been consequentially amended.

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

Deduction in respect of interest on loan sanctioned during financial year 2013-14 for acquiring residential house property

Under the existing provisions of section 24 of the Income-tax Act, income chargeable under the head ‘Income from House Property’ is computed after making the deductions specified therein. The deductions specified under the aforesaid section are as under:-

i.  A sum equal to thirty per cent of the annual value;

ii. Where the property has been acquired, constructed, repaired, renewed or reconstructed with borrowed capital, the amount of any interest payable on such capital.

It has also been provided that where the property consists of a house or part of a house which is in the occupation of the owner for the purposes of his own residence or cannot actually be occupied by the owner by reason of the fact that owing to his employment, business or profession carried on at any other place, he has to reside at that other place in a building not belonging to him, then the amount of deduction as mentioned above shall not exceed one lakh fifty thousand rupees subject to the conditions provided in the said section.

Keeping in view the need for affordable housing, an additional benefit for first-home buyers is proposed to be provided by inserting a new section 80EE in the Income-tax Act relating to deduction in respect of interest on loan taken for residential house property.

The proposed new section 80EE seeks to provide that in computing the total income of an assessee, being an individual, there shall be deducted, in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this section, interest payable on loan taken by him from any financial institution for the purpose of acquisition of a residential house property.

It is further provided that the deduction under the proposed section shall not exceed one lakh rupees and shall be allowed in computing the total income of the individual for the assessment year beginning on 1st April, 2014 and in a case where the interest payable for the previous year relevant to the said assessment year is less than one lakh rupees, the balance amount shall be allowed in the assessment year beginning on 1st  April, 2015.

It is also provided that the deduction shall be subject to the following conditions:-

(i) the loan is sanctioned by the financial institution during the period beginning on 1st April, 2013 and ending on 31st  March, 2014;

(ii) the amount of loan sanctioned for acquisition of the residential house property does not exceed twenty-five lakh rupees;

(iii) the value of the residential house property does not exceed forty lakh rupees; (iv) the assessee does not own any residential house property on the date of sanction of the loan.

It is also provided that where a deduction under this section is allowed for any assessment year, in respect of interest referred to in sub-section (1), deduction shall not be allowed in respect of such interest under any other provisions of the Income-tax Act for the same or any other assessment year.

It is also proposed to define the term “financial institution”.

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

Raising the limit of percentage of eligible premium for life insurance policies of persons with disability or disease

Under the existing provisions contained in clause (10D) of section 10, any sum received under a life insurance policy, including the sum allocated by way of bonus on such policy, is exempt, subject to the condition that the premium paid for such policy does not exceed ten per cent of the ‘actual capital sum assured’. Similarly as per the existing provisions contained in sub- section (3A) of section 80C, the deduction under the said section is available in respect of any premium or other payment made on an insurance policy of up to ten per cent of the ‘actual capital sum assured’.

The above limit of ten per cent was introduced through the Finance Act, 2012 and applies to policies issued on or after 1st April, 2012.  Some insurance policies for persons with disability or suffering from specified diseases provide for an annual premium of more than ten per cent of the actual capital sum assured. Due to the limit of ten per cent, these policies are ineligible for exemption under clause (10D) of section 10. Moreover, the deduction under section 80C is eligible only to an extent of the premium paid up to 10 % of the ‘actual capital sum assured’.

It is proposed to provide that any sum including the sum allocated by way of bonus received under an insurance policy issued on or after 01.04.2013 for the insurance on the life of any person who is

(i)   a person with disability or a person with severe disability as referred to in section 80U, or

(ii)  suffering from disease or ailment as specified in the rules made under section 80DDB, shall be exempt under clause (10D) of section 10 if the premium payable for any of the years during the term of the policy does not exceed 15% of the actual capital sum assured.

It is also proposed to amend sub-section (3A) of section 80C so as to provide that the deduction under the said section on account of premium paid in respect of a policy issued on or after 01.04.2013 for insurance on the life of a person referred to above shall be allowed to the extent the premium paid does not exceed 15% of the actual capital sum assured.

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.

Deduction for contribution to Health Schemes similar to CGHS

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.

Expanding the scope of deduction and its eligibility under section 80CCG

The existing provisions of section 80CCG, inter-alia, provide that a resident individual who has acquired listed equity shares in accordance with the scheme notified by the Central Government, shall be allowed a deduction of fifty per cent of the amount invested in such equity shares to the extent that the said deduction does not exceed  twenty five thousand rupees.  The deduction is a one-time deduction and is available only in one assessment year in respect of the amount so invested. The deduction is available to a new retail investor whose gross total income does not exceed ten lakh rupees. Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme has been notified under section 80CCG.

With a view to liberalize the incentive available for investment in capital markets by the new retail investors, it is proposed to amend the provisions of section 80CCG so as to provide that investment in listed units of an equity oriented fund shall also be eligible for deduction in accordance with the provisions of section 80CCG. It is proposed to provide that “equity oriented fund” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (38) of section 10.

It is further proposed to provide that the deduction under this section shall be allowed for three consecutive assessment years, beginning with the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which the listed equity shares or listed units were first acquired by the new retail investor whose gross total income for the relevant assessment year does not exceed twelve lakh rupees.

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.

One hundred per cent deduction for donation to National Children’s Fund

Under the existing provisions of section 80G an assessee is allowed a deduction from his total income  in respect of donations made by him to certain funds and institutions.  The deduction is allowed at the rate of fifty per cent of the amount of donations made except in the case of donations made to certain funds and institutions specified in clause (i) of sub-section (1) of section 80G, where deduction is allowed at the rate of one hundred per cent.  In the case of donations made to the National Children’s Fund, deduction is allowed at the rate of fifty per cent of the amount so donated.

Donations to Funds which are of national importance have been generally provided a deduction of one hundred per cent of the amount donated. Since the National Children’s Fund is also a Fund of national importance, it is proposed to allow hundred per cent deduction in respect of any sum paid to the Fund in computing the total income of an assessee.

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

Deduction for additional wages in certain cases

The existing provisions contained in section 80JJAA of the Income-tax Act provide for a deduction of an amount equal to thirty per cent of additional wages paid to the new regular workmen employed in any previous year by an Indian company in its industrial undertaking engaged in manufacture or production of article or thing. The deduction is available for three assessment years including the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which such employment is provided.

No deduction under this section is allowed if the industrial undertaking is formed by splitting up or reconstruction of an existing undertaking or amalgamation with another industrial undertaking.

The tax incentive under section 80JJAA was intended for employment of blue collared employees in the manufacturing sector whereas in practice, it is being claimed for other employees in other sectors also. It is, therefore, proposed to amend the provisions of section 80JJAA so as to provide that the deduction shall be available to an Indian Company deriving profits from manufacture of goods in its factory.  The deduction shall be of an amount equal to thirty per cent of additional wages paid to the new regular workmen employed by the assessee in such factory, in the previous year, for three assessment years including the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which such employment is provided.

It is also proposed to provide that the deduction under this section shall not be available if the factory is hived off or transferred from another existing entity or acquired by the assessee company as a result of amalgamation with another company.

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

Return of Income filed without payment of self- assessment tax to be treated as defective return

The existing provisions contained in sub-section (9) of section 139 provide that where the Assessing Officer considers that the return of income furnished by the assessee is defective, he may intimate the defect to the assessee and give him an opportunity to rectify the defect within a period of fifteen days. If the defect is not rectified within the time allowed by the Assessing Officer, the return is treated as an invalid return. The conditions, the non-fulfillment of which renders the return defective, have been provided in the Explanation to the aforesaid sub-section.

Section 140A provides that where any tax is payable on the basis of any return, after taking into account the prepaid taxes, the assessee shall be liable to pay such tax together with interest payable under any provision of this Act for any delay in furnishing the return or any default or delay in payment of advance tax, before furnishing the return.

It  has  been  noticed  that  a  large  number  of  assessees  are  filing  their  returns  of  income  without  payment  of self-assessment  tax.

It is, therefore, proposed to amend the aforesaid Explanation so as to provide that the return of income shall be regarded as defective unless the tax together with interest, if any, payable in accordance with the provisions of section 140A has been paid on or before the date of furnishing of the return.

This amendment will take effect from 1st  June, 2013.

Source:Finance Bill 2013-14