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Tax Audit

Income Tax Audit – Meaning, Applicability, Objective, Due date of filing tax audit, Penalties for not filing

In this article, we will discuss in detail about Tax Audit & its applicability under Section 44AB of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Tax Audit meaning:   Section 44AB of the Income Tax Act, 1961 specifies that every person who earns income by any business or profession has to maintain his books of accounts & get a tax audit done except those who opted for presumptive taxation under section 44AD, 44ADA, 44AE of the income tax act, 1961 or if their turnover exceeds the specified threshold limit of Rs 1 Crore. Tax Audit refers to the activity in which an auditor examines or reviews the accounts of a business to check for tax compliance. Some companies are legally required to carry out regular audits under Section 44AB of the Income Tax Act, 1961 & for them performing periodic tax audits is mandatory. The main goal of a tax audit is ensuring that the details related to the income, expenditure & tax-deductible expenditure information are filed correctly by the business undergoing audit.   Who need to get tax audit done?   1.  Any self-employed individual who is engaged in a business with an annual turnover of Rs. 1 crore & above. 2.  A self-employed professional whose income receipts aggregate Rs. 50 lakhs or more in a financial year. 3.  An individual who qualifies for the presumptive taxation scheme under Section 44AD & Section 44ADA but claims that the specified profits (8%/6%, as the case may be) are lower than those calculated in accordance with the presumptive taxation scheme for the financial year. Provided, if: a) Aggregate of all amounts received including amount received for sales, turnover or gross receipts during the previous year, in cash, does not exceed 5% of the said amount and b) Aggregate of all payments made including amount incurred for expenditure, in cash, during the previous year does not exceed 5% of the said payment. Threshold limit would be 10 crores instead of 1 crore. Note – i) Payment/receipt by a cheque/draft, which is not account payee, shall be deemed to be payment/receipt in cash. ii) Professionals are not entitled to claim an enhanced turnover limit of Rs. 10 crores u/s 44ADA. In other words, more than 95% of the business transactions should be done through banking channels.   4.  An individual who qualifies for the presumptive taxation scheme under Section 44AE (Plying, hiring or leasing goods carriages having not more than ten goods carriage vehicles), Section 44B (Non-Resident Shipping Business), Section 44BBA (Non-Resident Aircraft Business), Section 44BB (Non-resident assessee engaged in exploration of mineral oil) & Section 44BBB (Foreign Company engaged in Civil Construction) but claims that the profits are lower than those calculated in accordance with the presumptive taxation scheme.   5.  If an assessee, who has qualified for taxation under the presumptive taxation scheme opts out of it after a specified period. After opting out of the presumptive taxation scheme, the assessee is not allowed to opt into the presumptive taxation scheme for a continuous period of 5 assessment years.   Exception of Tax Audit for Individual having turnover exceeding Rs 1 crore but up to Rs 2 crores:   – If an Individual whose gross receipts or turnover from business exceeds Rs 1 crore but is up to Rs 2 crores, then he can opt for Presumptive Taxation under section 44AD of Income Tax Act, 1961 then he will not be liable to maintain books of accounts u/s 44AA & also will not be liable for tax audit u/s 44AB of Income Tax Act, 1961 if he discloses the required percentage of profit as required u/s 44AD of Income Tax Act, 1961. – This Section is applicable only for Resident Individual, HUF or Resident Partnership Firm (not Limited Liability Partnership) – The required percentage of profit as required to be disclosed u/s 44AD of Income Tax Act, 1961 is as follows: a) 6% of Gross receipt or total turnover if the amount is received through any mode other than cash. b) 8% of Gross receipt or total turnover if the amount is received through cash mode. c) No further deduction of business expenditure will be allowed from section 28 to Section 43 of Income Tax Act, 1961 under the head business income & it will be deemed to have been allowed.   Goals & Objectives of a Tax Audit:   – To make sure that even medium and small business owners maintain book of accounts, ledgers as well as receipts for revenue and expenses properly. – To report observations or discrepancies after a methodical examination of the books of account of the business. – To report prescribed information including compliance of different provisions of the Income Tax laws such as tax liability, tax paid, eligible refund amount, etc. – To enable the tax authorities to verify the correctness of income tax returns filed by the business owner. – To make it easy for the tax assessing authorities engaged in carrying out routine verifications to calculate and verify information such as total income, claim for deductions, etc. furnished by the taxpayer. – To identify and restrict any fraudulent practice by businesses.   Forms for Submission of a Tax Audit:   Form 3CA: This form is required to be furnished by a person who is carrying on a business or profession that requires that accounts are audited under any rule other than Section 44 and its subsections. Form 3CB: This form is required to be furnished by a person who is carrying on business or profession which does not require that his accounts are audited under any rule except Section 44 and any of its subsections. Form 3CD: If either of the aforementioned audit reports is prepared, the tax auditor must furnish the required particulars using Form 3CD. In India, Tax audit reports under various subsections of 44 can only be prepared by qualified chartered accountants. Currently tax audit reports from chartered accountants are filed electronically with the Income Tax Department. Once the chartered accountant has filed

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leave travel Allowance

Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) Tax Exemption, Eligibility, Rules & Claims

  LTA or leave travel concession is the allowance paid by your employer to cover your travel expenses, while you go on leave with or without your family. LTA forms a part of your cost to company (CTC) and is given as a yearly benefit but can be availed of monthly. In this article, we will discuss about Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) Tax Exemption, Eligibility, Rules & Claims.   The Income Tax Act, 1961 provides various exemptions to salaried class. Exemption means exclusion from total taxable income. Such exemptions enable the employers to structure Cost to Company (CTC) of employees in a tax efficient manner. One of such exemptions available to salaried class under the law and also widely used by employers is Leave Travel Allowance (LTA) /Leave Travel Concession (LTC). LTA exemption is also available for LTA received from former employer w.r.t travel after the retirement of service or termination of service. LTA is a type of allowance which is provided by the employer to his employee who is travelling on leave from work to cover his travel expenses LTA is an important component of the salary of the employee as it is eligible for income tax exemption as per section 10(5) of the IT Act, 1961 LTA received by the employer will not be a part of his net income of the year Value of LTA provided to High Court (HC) or Supreme Court (SC) Judge & members of his family are completely exempt from tax without any conditions.   The eligible criteria/condition for claiming LTA   1.  LTA can only be claimed on actual travel cost. Actual journey is a must to claim the exemption. All the mediums of the travel i.e. road, rail or air are claimable under LTA. However, employee must submit a valid proof of cost to claim the LTA.   2.  LTA can be claimed only on travel expense. Food or stay or any such expenses excluding travel cannot be part of it. LTA is exempt from tax   3.  LTA can only be claimed on domestic travel expenses. You cannot claim LTA on the expenses incurred during the international trip (if any) of the employee   4.  Employee cannot claim LTA in every financial year. LTA can be claimed only for two journeys in a block of 4 calendar years. The block years for LTA purposes are decided by government. The current running block for claiming LTA is calendar years 2018-2021. The last running block for LTA was 2014-2017   5.  LTA can only be claimed when the employee has been on leave from work for travelling purpose, the employee should mark the period as “leave”. For example – Sanju went on a holiday to Manali with his family and friends. He received Rs 50,000 as LTA from his employer. However, he spent Rs 30,000 for the air tickets of his family. The total LTA exemption he can claim is Rs 30,000, an amount he spent. The balance amount of Rs 20,000 received as LTA will be added in his taxable income.   Expenses that can be included in LTA   Tax benefits are available only on actual travel expenses incurred on rail, road or air fares only subject to the following condition:- Travel by Air – The air fare of the economy class of the national carrier (Air India) by the shortest route or the actual expenditure incurred, whichever is less, can be claimed as tax exemption.   Travel by Train – If the place of origin & destination is connected by rail & journey is performed by any mode of transport other than air, then the first class AC rail fare by the shortest route or the actual expenditure incurred, whichever is less, can be claimed as tax exemption.   Travel by Other Modes a)If the place of origin & destination of the journey are not connected by rail but a recognized mode of transport exists for the route then the first class or deluxe class fare for the shortest route for the recognized mode of transport or the actual expenditure incurred, whichever is less, can be claimed as tax exemption. b) However, if there is no recognized mode of transport for the route, then the amount equivalent to the first class A.C. rail fare of the distance covered assuming that the journey has been performed by rail can be claimed as tax exemption.   Procedure of claiming LTA   It is generally employer specific. Every employer announces the due date within which LTA can be claimed by the employees & may require employees to submit proof of travel such as tickets, boarding pass, invoice provided by travel agent etc along with the mandatory declaration. It is not mandatory for employers to collect proof of travel, it is always advisable for employees to keep copies for his/her records & also to submit to employer based on LTA policy of the company/to tax authorities on demand.   Carry Forward of the unclaimed LTA of a block year to the next block year   If the employee has not claimed LTA in the last running block or just claimed it once, he can still claim one additional LTA in the next block of calendar years under the carry over concession rules under which an employee can claim LTA tax break on 3 journeys made in current block of years. However, in order to utilize the carry over concession facility, one LTA exemption with respect to journey must be claimed in first calendar year of next block. For example – If an employee had just claimed one tax exemption under LTA in last block of year i.e. between 2014-2017. Now, he is  eligible to make LTA claims up to 3 journeys in current block i.e. between 2018-2021. However, his first claim must be made in first calendar year of current block i.e. 2018.   Who are included in the travel cost claimed for tax benefit under LTA?   LTA tax exemption claim can

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Income tax Rules

Changes in the income tax rules effective from 1st April, 2023 (For Financial Year 2023-24)

In this article, we will discuss about the difference between Financial Year (FY) & Assessment Year (AY) & changes made in the income tax rules effective from 1st April, 2023 (For Financial Year 2023-24).   Difference between Financial Year (FY) & Assessment Year (AY)   From Income Tax point of view, FY is the year in which income is earned by assessee. AY is the year following the financial year in which assessee need to evaluate the previous year income and pay taxes on it. For Example – If assessee financial year is from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023 (i.e., FY 2022-23), then assessment year is the period which will begin after the financial year ends (i.e., AY 2023-24 from 1st April 2023 to 31st March 2024).   A taxpayer should file an income tax return (ITR) in the assessment year (AY), which is the year following the completion of a financial year. Taxpayer should calculate his/her income for full FY & calculate tax on such income, if any.He/she need to file ITR when his/her total income exceeds Rs 2.5 lakh after claiming deductions & exemptions allowed under income tax act. He/she can claim credit for advance tax, TDS & TCS paid during the financial year at the time of filing his/her ITR return.   Changes in the income tax rules effective from 1st April, 2023 (For Financial Year 2023-24)   1  New Income Tax regime to be default regime   From 1 April 2023, the new tax regime will be the default tax regime. If any assessee chooses new tax regime, then he/she will not have to invest in any investment tools such as PPF, NPS, LIC, ELSS etc. to claim deduction u/s 80C, 80D, 80CCD(1B). However, assessee will still be able to choose the old regime tax.   2.  Tax rebate limit is increased to Rs 7 Lakhs   Tax rebate limit under new tax regime has been increased to ₹7 lakh from ₹5 lakh in earlier income tax slab. Tax-free limit for salaried taxpayers under old regime is Rs 5.5 lakhs & under new tax regime is Rs 7.5 lakhs. So, it means that an individual with a salary of less than this tax-free limit under new tax regime will not have to make any investments to claim deductions. Also, no TDS will be deducted if the salary income is within the tax-free limit.   3.  New Income Tax Slab Regime for Salaried persons & pensioners including family pensioners   Up to Rs 3,00,000                                           – Nil Above Rs 3,00,000 & up to Rs 6,00,000   –  5% Above Rs 6,00,000 & up to Rs 9,00,000   – 10% Above Rs 9,00,000 & up to Rs 12,00,000  – 15% Above Rs 12,00,000 & up to Rs 15,00,000 – 20% Above Rs 15,00,000                                         – 30% Note – The new tax regime will be the default choice, but assessee can still opt for the old tax regime.   4.  Standard Deduction & Family Pension deduction   There is no change in standard deduction of Rs 50000 under old tax regime for employees. For Salaried persons & Pensioners, the benefit of standard deduction under the head salary of Rs 50,000 & family pension deduction of Rs 15,000 will now be allowed under new tax regime also.   5.  No LTCG tax on debt mutual fund   Investments in debt mutual funds will be taxed as per the income tax slab rate of the assessee from 01.04.2023. Earlier, if debt mutual funds were held for > 36 months, then it will be treated as LT capital assets & Long-Term Capital Gain @ 20% with indexation benefit was allowed but now it has been removed.   6.  Taxation on Life Insurance Policy   Any sum received from life insurance policy having premium annually in a financial year is more than Rs 5 lakh would be taxable from 1st April 2023. This Income tax rule will not be applicable on ULIP policy. Any amount received on the death of the person insured will still be exempt from tax.   7.  Tax on Online Gaming   As per the new Section 115BBJ, tax on winnings from online games i.e., all forms of winnings such as cash, kind, vouchers or any other benefit from online gaming will be liable to tax at a flat 30%, which will be deducted at source immediately at the time of receiving the winning amount. No Threshold limit has been prescribed on deducting tax on winning from online games.   8.  Conversion of Physical gold into Digital gold & vice-versa to be tax-free   Any Conversion of physical gold into digital gold receipts (EGRs) & vice versa from April 1, 2023 will be exempt from capital gain tax. It will boost the digital gold market in India & make gold investment opportunities available to Indian investors.   9.  Gifts received by Resident but not-ordinarily residents (RNOR) will be taxable   Any gift received by an RNOR over and above Rs 50,000 will be taxable in their hands.   10.  Deduction claims under section 54 & 54F will be restricted   Taxpayers who sell their house property or any other capital asset & invest the sale amount in a new house property can claim a deduction under sections 54 and 54F. Now from 1st April, 2023, deduction under sections 54 and 54F will be restricted to Rs 10 crores. Any long- term capital gain (LTCG), if the period of holding is more than 24 months will be taxed at 20% with indexation benefit under section 112.   11.  Senior Citizens Savings Scheme   Senior citizens can now deposit up to Rs 30 lakh under the senior citizens savings scheme from 1st April, 2023. Earlier, the deposit limit was restricted to Rs 15 lakhs. The maximum

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Life Insurance Policy rules

Life Insurance Policy Taxation Rules

In this article, we will discuss about Life Insurance Policy Taxation Rules. Important points that need to be considered in case of taxability of Life Insurance Policy   1.. Deduction under Section 80C 2. Exemption under Section 10(10D) on maturity of policy 3. TDS on the life insurance policy 4. Tax implication of single premium life insurance policies   Buying a life insurance plan is very important for people who have dependent family members. The policy will help you protect the financial future of your parents, spouse & children. Payment of premium on life insurance policy not only gives insurance cover to a taxpayer but also offers tax deduction u/s 80C of Income Tax Act.   Deduction under Section 80C   Any premium paid towards a Life Insurance Policy is allowed as deduction. A taxpayer, being an individual or a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), can claim deduction u/s 80C in respect of premium on life insurance policy paid by him during the year. However, the LIC Premium is allowed on ACTUAL PAYMENT BASIS only (not on due basis). It will be allowed even if the premium payment is made in cash. In case of an individual, deduction is available in respect of policy taken in the name of taxpayer or his/her spouse or his/her children. No deduction is available in respect of premium paid in respect of policy taken in the name of any other person, other than as mentioned. In case of a HUF, deduction is available in respect of policy taken in the name of any of the members of the HUF. Limit of Deduction u/s 80C – Overall deduction u/s 80C (along with deduction u/s 80CCC & 80CCD) allowed is up to Rs. 1,50,000.   Minimum holding period   Minimum holding period in case of Life Insurance Policy is 3 years. In case policy is terminated/surrender before the minimum holding period then the deduction allowed in earlier years would be deemed as income of the previous year of termination. Further, no deduction will be allowed in respect of payment made towards such policy which is terminated during the year of termination.   Exemption under Section 10(10D) on the maturity benefit   Section 10(10D) of the Income Tax Act allows any amount received such as maturity proceeds, bonus amount, survival benefits or surrender value on life insurance policy as exempt if premium paid on the policy must not be more than 20% of sum assured for policies issued before April 1, 2012 & 10% of sum assured for policies issued after April 1, 2012.   In case of policy taken on or after 1-4-2013 in the name of any person suffering from disability or severe disability u/s 80U or suffering from disease or ailment given u/s 80DDB, limit will be 15% of sum assured.   Benefits of section 10(10D) also apply to any gains arising out of ULIPs & Single Premium Life Insurance Policies (if the conditions mentioned in section 10(10D) are met).   Deductions are applicable to both foreign as well as Indian life insurance companies.   TDS on the life insurance policy   In case life insurance policy is taxable, TDS u/s 194DA will be applicable if the amount received is more than ₹1 lakh. TDS rate will be 5% on the income component (amount received – total premium paid in the tenure of the policy). Any amount received under life insurance policy is taxable under the head “Income from other sources” as per the applicable income tax slab rate, if not exempt u/s 10(10D).   When will be the amount received as maturity proceeds, bonus amount, survival benefits or surrender value on life insurance policy is taxable ?   There are certain situations when Section 10(10D) does not apply, If the premium paid towards the life insurance policy is more than 10% of the sum assured for policies issued after April 1, 2012 & for policies taken before April 1, 2012, if premium paid more than 20% of sum assured, then tax benefit is not available.   Also, as per Finance Budget 2023, any sum received from life insurance policy having premium annually in a financial year is more than Rs 5 lakh would be taxable from 1st April 2023. If a policyholder already has a life insurance policy with premium exceeding Rs 5 lakhs in a financial year, then it will be exempt from tax, if all the other conditions u/s 10 (10D) are satisfied. The new tax law is applicable only to the policies purchased on or after 1st April, 2023.   This Income tax rule will NOT be applicable on ULIP policy. Any amount received on the death of the person insured will still be exempt from tax.   For ULIP plans, the tax exemption limit is limited to Rs 2.5 lakhs annual premium payment in a financial year.   Tax implication of single premium life insurance policies   For a single premium payment life insurance policy, the premium paid is often more than 10% of the sum assured. Hence, the maturity benefit of the policy will be taxable under the head “Income from other sources” as per the applicable income tax slab rate. TDS u/s 194DA @ 5% will apply on the income component (amount received – total premium paid in the tenure of the policy) if the amount received is > ₹1 lakh. For example, if a policy is taken on 12 July, 2013 with a maturity value of ₹3.5 lakh, the single premium amount will be approximately ₹95,000, which is over 10% of the sum assured. Suppose, if assessee surrendered the policy on 16 July, 2019 & he/she received Rs 1,50,000 then the insurance company would deduct TDS @ 5% on Rs 45,000 (income component). Rs 1,50,000 received as surrender value will be taxable under the head “Income from other sources” as per the applicable income tax slab rate.   Comparison of Old Regime & New Regime tax (under section 115BAD) for investing in life insurance policies  

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Summary of Income tax notice issued under section 148A & 148 for not reporting income in ITR & its Procedural requirement

In this article, we will discuss Summary of Income tax notice issued under section 148A & 148 for not reporting income in ITR & its Procedural requirement.   Reason for Income Tax Notices issued by the department    1   Non – Filing or Late Filing of ITR – Every taxpayer having Gross Total Income (GTI) before claiming deduction is > basic exemption limit, then he/she is required to file ITR within due date, failing to which they may receive a notice from the department. Also, if ITR is not filed for a particular year, department can issue a notice even after several years.   2.  Differences in Income & TDS Details – If the department find any difference between the income declared in the ITR & income reflected in other documents such as Form 26AS, AIS, TIS or Form 16, then they may issue a notice to the taxpayer. Furthermore, if the TDS claimed by taxpayer doesn’t match the TDS details mentioned in form 26AS, then also they may receive a notice from department.   3.  Non-disclosure of Income or Investments – If department suspect that taxpayer has not disclosed all their income or investments detail, then they may issue a notice to the taxpayers for non-disclosure of income or investments to the taxpayer.   4.  Tax Dues or Refund Adjustments – If a taxpayer has any outstanding tax dues or any interest, fees or penalty pending, then also department may issue a notice to recover the dues pending. Moreover, If a taxpayer has claimed any refund in his ITR then also department may adjust the refund against any outstanding dues & issue a notice for balance tax to the taxpayer.   5.  High Value Transactions – High value transactions include purchase or sale of property, investments in stocks, mutual funds, bonds, FD, TD etc. Taxpayer must report these transactions in their ITR & pay the required taxes applicable on it, otherwise if department find any differences or non-reporting of these transaction income, they may issue a notice.     Asking for Explanation under section 148A & issue of notice under section 148 by the department    As per Section 148A of the Income Tax Act, if income tax officer has information that the taxpayer has escaped income for any assessment year on which tax is payable in that case, the officer will provide a chance to the taxpayer to explain their case before issuing notice. The assessee gets a chance of opportunity of being heard by the officer.   AO will give assessee not less than 7 days but not more than 30 days for furnishing his/her explanation.   After seeing the taxpayer’s reply, the AO shall decide whether it is a fit case to issue notice for income escaping assessment under section 148. If the AO decides to reopen the case, a copy of the order & a notice under Section 148 must be issued to the taxpayer.   If the AO is dis-satisfied with the submissions filed by the assessee, then he shall pass an order u/s 148A & thereafter issue a notice u/s 148 for the relevant assessment year (RAY), directing assessee to file return of income for the RAY.   After receiving the order u/s 148A & notice u/s 148 the assessee needs to file the return of income for the RAY within time prescribed in the notice u/s 148 and proceedings for assessment will start.   Time Limit for issuance of notice under Section 148A   As per Section 148A, a notice can be issued within 3 years from the end of the relevant assessment year. However, notice can be issued beyond 3 years but up to 10 years from the end of the relevant assessment year, only if there is evidence that the taxpayer has escaped taxable income of at least Rs 50 lakhs.   AO shall obtain the approval of specified authority (Principal Chief Commissioner or Chief Commissioner) before conducting any such enquiries, also providing an opportunity of being heard to the taxpayer before passing order u/s 148A. However, this provision is not applicable in search or requisition cases.   Difference between Section 148A & 148 of the Income Tax Act   Section 148 provisions from 1 April 2021 have some amendments making it mandatory to follow the procedures specified u/s 148A, before issuing of notice u/s 148.   From 1st April 2021, the AO under the new provision u/s 148A requires to conduct an inquiry or provide the taxpayer with an opportunity to be heard in relation to the information that indicates that the income chargeable to tax has escaped assessment, which requires the assessee to explain his case & to get the proceedings dropped with the satisfaction of the AO. AO must obtain prior approval of specified authority before issuing such notice u/s 148A.   It is obligatory for the AO to issue notice u/s 148A(b) to the assessee, containing the information along with material evidence which has escapement of income, which can be countered by the assessee by way material and evidences available with him.   This is a major change from the old provision of Section 148 in which the information of reason for re-opening of case and satisfaction recorded by the AO was made available to the assessee only after issuance of notice u/s 148 in the old rule and after filing of return of Income by the assessee.   Section 148 requires that the AO issue a notice to the taxpayer if there is a ‘reason to believe’ by the AO that the taxpayer has escaped reporting any income in the RAY.   After issuing the notice, the AO may assess or reassess or re-compute the total income for such a year u/s 147 of the Income Tax Act.   Happy Readings!   Disclaimer: The information contained in this website is provided for informational purposes only, and should not be construed as legal/official advice on any matter. All the instructions, references, content, or documents are for educational purposes

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TDS

All about TDS- Meaning, Applicability, Rates, Due dates & Amendments (AY 2023-24)

In this article, we will discuss about the Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) all sections & amendments in detail. Tax Deducted at Source (TDS)   TDS is income tax reduced from the money paid at the time of making specified payments such as rent, commission, professional fees, salary, interest etc. by the persons  making such payments.  Any person making specified payments mentioned under the Income Tax Act are required to deduct TDS at the time of making such specified payments.   Due date for depositing the TDS   TDS must be deposited to the government by 7th of the subsequent month.  For example, TDS deducted in the month of June must be paid to the government by 7th July.   Due date of filing TDS returns   Filing TDS returns is mandatory for all the persons who have deducted TDS. TDS return is to be submitted quarterly. Different forms are prescribed for filing returns depending upon the purpose of the deduction of TDS. Various types of return forms are as follows: Form 26Q – TDS on all payments except salary Form 24Q – TDS on Salary Form 27Q – TDS on all payments made to non‐residents except salaries Due dates – Q1 (April to June) – 31st July, Q2 (July to September) – 31st October, Q3 (October to December) – 31st January & Q4 (January to March)  – 31st May Rates of TDS applicable for Financial Year 2022‐23 or Assessment Year 2023‐24:   Section – 192 – Salaries   Deductor – Any Resident Person Deductee – Any person Threshold Limit – If Total Income of the Employee is upto Basic Exemption Limit, then no TDS Tax Rate – Individual Slab Rate Other Conditions – a) Tax will include Surcharge (if any) & Cess (always) b) Employer shall consider other income & deduction of employee & not consider any loss other than House Property loss if provided by employee. c) Employee can take credit of Tax on Non-monetary perquisite paid by the employer. d) In case of Arrears of salary, TDS is deducted after considering relief under section 89. e) If employee opts for Section 115BAC (New Tax Regime) – He will intimate to the employer & Form 10BA need to be filed before due date of filing of ITR return. Section -192A‐ Premature withdrawal from Employee Provident Fund Deductor – Any Resident Person Deductee – Any person Threshold Limit – Rs 50,000 Tax Rate – 10% Other Conditions – a) TDS only if amount is taxable in the hands of employee – if employee renders < 5 years of service & amount received is more than Rs 50,000 b) If PAN is not furnished, TDS is deducted as Maximum Marginal Rate (MMR) i.e. 30% tax rate + 37% maximum surcharge rate + 4% cess = 42.744%. Section -193‐ Interest on securities   Deductor – Any Resident Payer Deductee – Any Payee Threshold Limit – Rs 2,500 Tax Rate – 10% Other Conditions – No TDS if: a) Interest is payable on CG or SG Securities b) Interest is paid to LIC, GIC or any other insurer c) Interest is payable on DMAT Securities d) Interest is payable on debenture of public company to Individual/HUF (If amount not exceed Rs 5,000 p.a.) Section -194‐ Dividend   other than the dividend as referred to in Section 115‐O (Deemed dividend) – Deductor – Any Resident Payer Deductee – Any Payee Threshold Limit – Rs 5,000 Tax Rate – 10% Other Conditions – No TDS if: a) Dividend is paid to LIC, GIC or any other insurer b) Paid to Individual other than Cash (If amount not exceed Rs 5,000 p.a.)   Section -194A – Interest other than interest on securities   Banks Time deposits, Recurring deposit and Deposit in Co‐op Banks Deductor – Any Resident Payer Deductee – Any Payee Threshold Limit – Rs 40,000 (for individual), Rs 50,000 (for Senior Citizens) & Rs 5000 (for others) Tax Rate – 10% Other Conditions – If bank opting for Core Banking Solution (CBS), then limit will be checked per bank wise not per branch wise. No TDS if: a) Interest on Saving Bank account b) Interest paid by Firms to Partners c) Interest on Income Tax Refund. However, Interest on IT refund of NRI will be liable for TDS deduction at applicable rate. d) Interest is paid to any other bank, LIC, UTI or any other insurer e) Interest is paid by co-operative society to its member or any other co-operative society f) Interest on compensation awarded by Motor Accident Claim Tribunal, if amount not exceeds Rs 50,000 p.a g) If interest is credited by bank to provisioning account on daily/monthly basis for macro monitoring only by use of CBS Software    Section -194B – Winning from Lotteries, Crossword Puzzle, Card games etc   Deductor – Any Person Deductee – Any Person Threshold Limit – Rs 10,000 Tax Rate – 30% Other Conditions – If winning in kind, then the organizer will release winning only after ensuring that TDS on winning is paid to the Govt.  Section -194BB – Winning from Horse Race   Deductor – Any Person Deductee – Any Person Threshold Limit – Rs 10,000 Tax Rate – 30% Other Conditions – TDS will be deducted without set off of loss   Section -194C – Payment to Contractor   Deductor – Any Resident Payer Deductee – Any Resident Person Threshold Limit – Rs 30,000 (Single Bill/Invoice)/ Rs 1,00,000 (Aggregate Payment for whole financial year) Tax Rate – Individual/HUF – 1% / Others – 2%. Other Conditions – a) Work Contracts includes Advertisement, Broadcasting, Telecasting, Catering, Transportation of goods/passenger (other than railway) & Manufacturing/Supplying product as per customer specification out of the material supplied by such customer or its associate (Job Work). b) Payment made for personal purpose by Individual/HUF – No TDS c) Contract also includes Sub-Contracting d) TDS is not applicable on payment to Contractor engaged in plying, hiring or leasing of goods carriages u/s 44AE, where such contractor owns 10 or less goods carriages during the financial year & furnishes PAN. e) No TDS if Single Transaction is < Rs 30,000 & aggregate payment during the financial year is < Rs 1,00,000.    Section -194D – Insurance Commission   Deductor – Any Insurance Company Deductee – Any Resident Person Threshold Limit – Rs 15,000 Tax

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Gifts tax

Taxability of Monetary Gifts, Immovable Property & Prescribed Movable Property received for adequate or inadequate consideration

Taxability of Gifts received by an Individual or Hindu Undivided Family (HUF)   Any sum of money or property received by an individual or a HUF without consideration or a case in which the property is acquired for inadequate consideration. As per the Income Tax Act, 1961 which was amended in 2017, any gifts received by any person or persons are taxed in the hands of the recipient under the head ‘Income from other sources’ at normal tax rates under section 56(2)(x). From the taxation point of view, gifts can be classified as follows: Any sum of money received without consideration, is termed as ‘monetary gifts’.   Specified movable properties received without consideration, is termed as ‘gift of movable property’.   Specified movable properties received at a reduced price (i.e., for inadequate consideration), is termed as ‘movable property received for less than its fair market value’.   Immovable properties received without consideration; is termed as ‘gift of immovable property’.   Immovable properties acquired at a reduced price (i.e., for inadequate consideration), is termed as ‘immovable property received for less than its stamp duty value’.   Tax treatment of monetary gifts received by an Individual or Hindu Undivided Family (HUF)   Any sum of money received without consideration (i.e., monetary gift may be received in cash, cheque, draft, etc.) by an individual/ HUF will be charged to tax if following conditions are satisfied –   Sum of money received without consideration. The aggregate value of such sum of money received during the financial year exceeds Rs. 50,000.   Provisions relating to gift applies in case of every person, but gifts by a resident person to a non-resident are claimed to be non-taxable in India as the income does not accrue or arise in India to ensure that such gifts made by residents to a non-resident person are subjected to tax in India, the Finance Act, 2019 has inserted a new clause (viii) under Section 9 of the Income-tax Act to provide that any income arising outside India, being money paid without consideration on or after 05-07-2019, by a person resident in India to a non-resident or a foreign company shall be deemed to accrue or arise in India.   Cases in which sum of money received without consideration, i.e., monetary gift received by an individual or HUF is not charged to tax –    Money received from relatives. Relative for this purpose means: i) In case of an Individual      a) Spouse of the individual b) Brother or Sister of the individual c) Brother or Sister of the spouse of the individual d) Brother or Sister of either of the parents of the individual e) Any lineal ascendant or descendent of the individual f) Any lineal ascendant or descendent of the spouse of the individual g) Spouse of the persons referred to in (b) to (f)ii) In case of HUF, any member thereof   Money received on the occasion of the marriage of the individual.   Any distribution of capital assets on total or partial partition of a HUF   Money received under will/ by way of inheritance.   Money received in contemplation of death of the payer or donor.   Money received from a local authority.   Money received from any fund, foundation, university, other educational institution, hospital or other medical institution, any trust or institution referred to in section 10(23C). [w.e.f. AY 2023-24, this exemption is not available if a sum of money is received by a specified person referred to in section 13(3)]   Money received from or by a trust or institution registered under section 12A, 12AA or section 12AB [w.e.f. AY 2023-24, this exemption is not available if a sum of money is received by a specified person referred to in section 13(3)].   Money received by any fund or trust or institution any university or other educational institution or any hospital or other medical institution referred to in section 10(23C) (iv)/(v)/(vi)/(via).   Money received as a consequence of demerger or amalgamation of a company or business reorganization of a co-operative bank under section 47.Note –   i) Gifts received on the occasion of marriage of the individual is not charged to tax. Apart from marriage there is no other occasion when monetary gift received by an individual is not charged to tax. Hence, monetary gift received on occasions like birthday, anniversary, etc. will be charged to tax.   ii) Gifts received from relatives are not charged to tax (meaning of ‘relative’ has been discussed above). Friend is not a ‘relative’ as defined in the above list & hence, gifts received from friends will be charged to tax (if other criteria of taxing gift are satisfied). For example – Mr. X received monetary consideration as gifts from his 5 friends in a financial year which is as follows: Mr. A – Rs 8,000, Mr. B – Rs 16,000, Mr. C – Rs 9,000, Mr. D – Rs 14,000 & Mr. E – Rs 13,000.Although the total amount received by Mr. X from his all 5 friends does not exceeds Rs 50,000 individually, but since the aggregate value of amount received from all the 5 friends exceeds Rs 50,000 in a financial year. The whole amount of Rs 60,000 will be added to his income & tax as per his income tax slab rates.   iii) Once the aggregate value of gifts received during the year exceeds Rs. 50,000 then all gifts are charged to tax – The important point to be noted in this regard is the “aggregate value of such sum received during the year”. The taxability of the gift is determined on the basis of the aggregate value of gift received during the year and not on the basis of individual gift. Hence, if the aggregate value of gifts received during the year exceeds Rs. 50,000, then total value of all such gifts received during the year will be charged to tax (i.e., the total amount of gift & not the amount in

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Updated return

Section 139(8A) – Updated Return – Conditions, Time Limit, Tax Liability & Eligible Assessee

In this article, we will discuss about Section 139(8A) – Updated Return in detail. Updated Return – Section 139(8A)    A new provision under section 139(8A) of the Act for furnishing the updated income tax return of income by any individual whether he has furnished a return formerly for the related assessment year or not. Finance Bill, 2022 has inserted a new section, Section 139(8A) in Income Tax Act. This new section provides for facilitating filing of ‘Updated Return’ by the taxpayers. This section has effect from 1st April 2022.   Conditions that need to be fulfilled    A taxpayer can file an updated return within 2 years from the end of the relevant Assessment Year. Thus, a taxpayer can now file an updated return for the period from AY 2020-21 (i.e. FY 2019-20). Updated return can be filed irrespective of the fact that whether the original return was filed by the taxpayer or not. However, to file an updated return, the taxpayer has to fulfil the below-mentioned conditions: a.     Updated return can be filed only if the taxpayer has to disclose any additional income, which was missed/omitted earlier & pay the additional tax thereon on such missed/omitted additional income. b.      Updated return cannot be filed to reduce any income and report loss or increase the loss thereby resulting in reduction of tax liability or increase in tax refund. c.      The option of updated return can be opted only once for one assessment year. d.      If an assessee opts for filing return of income under Section 139(8A) then, they are required to pay additional tax as per Section 140B which ranges from 25% to 50% in the following manner) If  the return of income is filed within 12 months from the end of relevant assessment year, then        additional tax shall be equal to 25% of aggregate of tax and interest payable. (i.e if the return of          income is filed on or before 31.03.2024 for assessment year 2022 – 23). If the return of income is filed after 12 months but before 24 months from the end of relevant assessment year, then additional tax shall be equal to 50% of aggregate of tax and interest payable. (i.e if the return of income is filed on or before 31.03.2025 for assessment year 2022 – 23). Interest under Section 234 A/B/C shall be calculated till the actual date of filing of return of income. Surcharge, Health and Education Cess, Fees & Interest are included while calculating additional tax to be paid under Section 140B of the Income Tax Act. e.      While filing an updated return, the proof of payment of additional income tax & interest thereon shall have to be submitted by the taxpayer. f.      A taxpayer cannot file an updated return in case of search & seizure or case where any prosecution proceedings have been initiated against the taxpayer.   Applicability   This section is applicable to all the assesses. However, there are some cases mentioned in the proviso where the updated return cannot be filed. If not satisfied, such assessee are not eligible for filing the updated return. Following are the exceptions (return cannot be filed): i.        Updated return is being filed for a return of loss or has the effect of decreasing the total tax liability determined on the basis of return furnished u/s 139(1), (4) or (5). ii.      Updated return results in refund or increases the refund due on the basis of return furnished u/s 139(1), (4) or (5). The only benefit to the assessee is to voluntarily disclose the error or omission and save themselves from the future litigation. iii.     Assessee cannot file updated return if a search has been initiated under section 132 or books of account or other documents or any assets are requisitioned under Section 132A in the case of such person; or a survey has been conducted under Section 133A. iv.     Any proceeding for assessment or reassessment or revision of income under this Act is pending or has been completed for the relevant assessment year in case of an assessee. v.      AO has information in respect of such person for the relevant assessment year in his possession under Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 or Prohibition of Benami Property Transactions Act, 1988 or Prevention of Money-laundering Act, 2002 or Black Money (Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets) and Imposition of Tax Act, 2015 or information for the relevant assessment year has been received under an agreement referred to in section 90 or section 90A in respect of such person and the same has been communicated to him, prior to the date of furnishing of return under this sub-section; or any prosecution proceedings under the Chapter XXII have been initiated for the relevant assessment year in respect of such person, prior to the date of furnishing of return under this sub-section.   Time limit to file an Updated Return   The updated return can be filed within period of 24 months from the end of the relevant assessment year. For example, the updated return pertaining to FY 2019-20 can filed latest by 31st March, 2023, for FY 20-21 can filed latest by 31st March, 2024 & for FY 2021-22 can filed latest by 31st March, 2025.   Can an Updated return be revised?   If assessee files his return of income under Section 139(8A) for AY 2021 – 22 by 31st March 2023 paying the additional tax of 25% as prescribed under the relevant provisions of the Act and later on, a mistake was noted in the return of income filed under Section 139(8A), can assessee file his return of income under Section 139(8A) again to rectify a mistake which has effect of increasing the tax liability – No, Section 139(8A) states that where an updated return has already been furnished by him an assessee cannot

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