SANDEEP PRESENTS
Income from Salary:-Section 17 of the Income Tax (IT)
Act is all about taxation under the head ‘salary’. In most of the cases, it is
impossible for a salaried person to avoid tax on his income, except by way of
deduction under chapter VI A of the IT Act.
However, there are ways that can help you minimise
your total tax outgo if you plan accordingly.
Expecting a bonus? Everyone waits for that time of
the year when they receive that lump sum called bonus from their employer.
However, bonus is fully taxable on receipt basis and is included in your gross
salary for the year in which you receive it. Can you limit the tax outgo on
your bonus? Yes.
As bonus is a fully taxable component of an
individual’s salary, tax is applicable on it whenever it is paid.
An individual can get his/her employer to make the
bonus payment in the subsequent year, thereby also pushing the tax liability to
the subsequent year. This might benefit the employee if tax rates have been
reduced or the tax slabs have been modified favourably.
If the bonus is to be paid in the current year, the
best that can be done is to spread the resulting tax liability on the bonus
over the remaining months in that financial year. By deferring the tax outflow
over the remaining months on a piecemeal basis instead of lump sum tax payment,
this will ensure that the individual’s overall cash flow is better managed.
In certain cases, the employer deducts tax on the
bonus before handing it over to the employee. In such cases, ensure that you
give your tax-saving investment details to the employer so that you can get the
maximum bonus on hand.
Take that trip. Under Section 10 (5) of the
IT Act, you can claim tax exemptions using your leave travel allowance (LTA).
In a favourable development for taxpayers, the Supreme Court recently ruled
that employers are not obligated to collect and examine proofs related to LTA.
Theoretically, the LTA exemption rule stipulates
that such exemption from tax can be claimed by an individual twice in a block
of four years. One requires to produce domestic travel bills evidencing the
fact of having undertaken a single journey.
Many individuals are unable to go on any vacation
and, hence, end up losing the benefit of tax exemption on LTA. Such individuals
can claim an additional exemption in the next block of four years. Here’s an
example to illustrate this point:
Suppose X, an employee, did not travel in the block
of 2010-13 and, so, could not claim any exemption in this block. However, he
can carry forward one journey to the succeeding block (2014-17) and can claim
it in the first calendar year, i.e., 2014.
Thereafter, he can also claim the remaining two
journeys of the block 2014-17. Accordingly, he may be eligible to avail three
exemptions in the block 2014-17.
If both spouses are getting the LTA benefit in
their respective places of work, they can both claim the separate exemptions
for separate journeys for travel with their respective set of dependent
parents.
Get the most out of those perks. For the
salaried, perquisites make work a pleasure but tax plays a dampener. If an
employee has the option of choosing between an employer-provided accommodation
and an independent rented accommodation, a cost-benefit analysis will help him
find the option that’s more conducive to his tax outgo.
Generally, having a house rent allowance (HRA)
component in the salary and paying rent is the better option. If one is using a
motor car for official purposes as well as personal use, rather than use your
own vehicle, it is advisable to take an employer-provided vehicle.
In that case, the taxable perquisite value is
restricted to a maximum of Rs 3,300 per month (car with a driver) as against
the actual expense being taxed when the vehicle is owned by the employee.
Tuning it right. Not many have the option to change their salary
structure, but if your company is progressive or you are on good terms with
your human resource department, you just might be able to squeeze in a few
additions and deletions and save some tax in the process.
Here are some suggestions:
- Opt for salary components such as reimbursement of attire expenses, books and periodicals, telephone expenses and medical expenses. These can yield small but profitable results.
- Change the arrangement from using your own car to a company-provided vehicle with driver this will go a long way in cutting your tax bill. If you want to use your own car, but do not want the related high perquisite taxation, you can buy the car in your spouse’s name and lease it to your company, which in turn can let you use it. (Such an arrangement needs to be approved by your company as it may not want any tax-related hassles.)
- Small components such as food coupons, education allowance and transport allowance may bring in small but effective respite from taxes.
Sops! Employee Stock Options (ESOPs) are
preferred by many blue-chip company employees but, unfortunately, they are
taxable.
Subject to provisions of ESOP plans and within the
exercise period, the employee can choose to exercise his shares (where an
option is available to the employee), at a time when the fair market value
(FMV) of the shares is low. In such a case, the taxable salary income on
allotment of ESOPs would be lower as it is directly proportional to the FMV of
the shares on the date of exercise.
Income from Salary
- For a salaried employee, restructuring salary in his favour may not be easy. But you can still soften the tax blow:
- Use house rent allowance (HRA) — it is partially exempted from tax, provided rent is actually paid.
- Avail tax exemption on HRA, and principal repayment of home loan under Section 80C.
- Furnish current employer details with Form 16 from the previous employer.
- Ensure that you furnish bills to claim reimbursements (e.g., medical).
- LTA is tax-exempt twice in four years upon furnishing requisite bills, if the employer asks for them.
- Remember, food coupons are exempt from tax.
- Get maximum tax benefit from employer-owned motor car that comes with reimbursement.
- After getting ESOPs, hold on to them for a year to avoid taxes. However, the lock-in period varies across employers.
Income from Business or Profession
Section 28 of the IT Act pertains to income from
business or profession. As per the income tax laws in India, a self-employed
person can be a freelance writer/journalist, independent consultant,
businessman, or a professional.
Tax calculations are easier for the salaried
compared to those for the self-employed.
There are a few things that you should keep in
mind. All expenses related to business or profession are deductible from the
gross profit. In case you have any work-related capital assets, you can claim
depreciation on them.
Carrying forward losses is allowed for the next
eight years. Bills of capital expenditure should be maintained for the sake of
record.
Managing taxes. Give priority to tax-saving instruments that do
not demand long-term commitment. Incomes from business and profession are
generally uneven, so it is in your best interest to avoid any large commitment
at a particular point in time.
Remember to keep your personal investments and
business surplus apart. Keep a list of the tax deducted at source (TDS)
throughout the year.
If your source of income is a business or a
profession, these are the key things you should know:
- Keep personal investments and business surplus apart.
- Business loss can be carried forward and set off against future profits for up to eight assessment years.
- As business income is not steady, avoid long-term financial commitments towards tax-saving products.
Income from House Property
It is calculated by taking into account the annual
value. Annual value is the highest of the actual rent received, rent as per the
municipality’s valuation and fair rent as determined by the IT department.
However, there are a few exemptions such as municipality
tax and 30 per cent of net annual value (annual value less municipality tax for
the year), which are deducted from the annual value to arrive at the taxable
annual value. It is then added to other income and taxed according to the
normal slab rate.
Any income that’s derived from a house property is
taxable. Here are the things to keep in mind:
- Avail unlimited deduction for interest payment on the loan for your second house.
- Claim tax deduction on principal repayment under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act.
- Keep rent receipts for proof of rental income for tax filing later.
- Make sure that you collect the ‘interest paid’ and ‘principal repayment’ certificates from the home loan provider
Income from Capital Gains
Any gains arising from the transfer of capital
assets are capital gains. A capital asset can be an asset of any kind held by
an individual whether or not connected with his business or profession.
However, capital gains can be of two types according to the time for which the
asset is held by the individual.
Long-term capital assets are assets held by an
individual for a period of more than 36 months. However, in case of shares,
equity mutual funds and debentures, the holding time period is 12 months.
On sale of any of these assets before a year and
upon payment of a security transaction tax (STT), the flat tax rate is 15.45
per cent. One does not require to pay any taxes if these assets are transferred
after one year of holding.
On sale of other assets such as property and
physical gold, the short-term capital gain is added to other income and taxed
accordingly.
However, the taxable amount is calculated after a
few considerations: cost of acquisition (indexed cost in case of long term),
cost of improvement (indexed cost of acquisition in case of long term),
expenditure incurred at the time of acquisition and expenditure incurred wholly
and exclusively in connection with such transfer.
A few things that you need to keep in mind if you
have any income from capital gain:
Long-Term Capital Gains
- No tax on gains from sale of equity shares and equity mutual funds if sold after a year. Ensure that security transaction tax (STT) has been paid while making such transactions.
- For assets such as real estate and gold, 20 per cent tax after indexing.
Short-Term Capital Gains
- Tax of 15.45 per cent on gains from sale of equity shares and equity mutual fund if sold within a year. ensure that STT has been paid while making such transactions.
- From other assets such as real estate and gold — as per your tax slab.
Saving Capital Gains
- Reinvest the gains in residential property or bonds such as NHAI/REC.
- Set off any short-term capital loss against short-term capital gains or taxable long-term capital gains.
Income from Other Sources
Section 56 of the IT Act says that you need to pay
taxes on income that does not fall under any of the above heads. These include
winnings from contests, gifts received and dividend income. Here’s how to
handle taxes on such incomes.
- According to the current tax provisions, dividend income from listed securities and units of equity and debt mutual funds is exempt from tax. Try to invest in these to avoid tax on dividends.
- Make investments in the name of major children so that the entire income is not taxed in the hands of a single member, exposing the income to the highest tax slabs.
Keep those gifts coming. Gifts are taxable, but there are
certain exceptions. For example, gifts from the employer not exceeding Rs 5,000
are not taxable in the hands of the individual.
Certain categories of gifts, such as those received
from relatives on the occasion of the marriage of the individual, under a
will/inheritance, and in contemplation of death by the donor are tax-exempt. In
case the gift is an immovable property, one can avoid paying any taxes if at
least some consideration is given to the donor.
The law says the transfer of an immovable asset for
a nominal compensation qualifies for tax exemption.
However A husband should avoid giving a gift to his
wife as otherwise clubbing provisions may be attracted and the income from such
gift could be included in the husband’s income.
There are certain incomes that are not covered
under the previous heads.
A look:
- Remember, any gift that one receives from specifi ed relatives is exempt from income tax.
- Take advantage of the fact that cash gifts during special occasions such as marriage, from ‘anybody’, are tax-exempt.
- Don’t forget that any gift received up to Rs 50,000 per annum from a person other than specified relatives is also exempt from tax.
Tips from experts for the working couple
The number of working couples in the country is on
the rise and so is their tax outgo. But, says Mahesh, there are several ways to
bring down the tax liability.
- House property-related deduction. Buying multiple house properties (except one that is treated as self-occupied) and letting them out could fetch good tax breaks owing to the interest payment on the home loan for buying the property.
- Joint home loans. Even a couple owning one property can maximise tax breaks by independently claiming interest payment on the loan taken for the purchase. In case of a self-occupied house, the limit of home loan interest individually available to each spouse for claiming exemption is Rs 1.5 lakh (Rs 150,000).
- LTA – related deduction. Each spouse should time the claim of their LTA component in such as way that they claim the exemption in alternate years. This way, each spouse can claim two journeys in a block of four years.
- HRA – related deduction. If the couple resides in a rented house, the exemption for the rent paid can be claimed by both spouses proportionately. Such shared exemptions or deductions can be claimed by the couple under various other heads such as children’s school tuition fees, principal repayment of home loan, medical insurance premium and medical expenses.
Tips from experts for high-income individuals
Citizens in the higher tax bracket of 30 per cent
have little respite from taxation. However, these small tips might help.
- Invest in low- or zero-tax options. Investments that ensure a fixed lower tax rate or those that generate zero tax income are the best bet. Property, works of art, shares and mutual funds are a good choice.
- Create separate tax entities. For high net worth individuals, another way is to diversify their investments in multiple entities so as to spread the income and reduce the tax outgo.
An effective and popular tool is to create a
separate Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and make investments in such HUF, which
has a distinct Permanent Account Number (PAN) and existence. However, an HUF
cannot be created by one’s own money. The initial corpus has to come as a gift
from a non-member.
Tax experts suggest that you be punctual in making
your tax investment declarations to your employer and submitting your investment
proofs, and make your general investments in tax-efficient instruments.
Consult a good tax practitioner before you take any
major financial decisions, maintain your yearly financial documents properly
and fulfill all compliance requirements (such as timely filing of tax returns).
These measures will enable you to lead a peaceful life, free of tax worries.
Tips from experts for senior citizens ( Aged
between 60 to 80 Years) and super senior citizens (Ages 80 years or more)
- Tax-saving schemes. If the income exceeds the zero tax mark of Rs 2.5 lakh (Rs 250,000) annually in case of senior Citizens or Rs. 5,00,000/- in case of super senior citizens they can invest in eligible investments such as Senior Citizen Savings Scheme and eliminate any potential tax liability.
- Tax saving for couples. If both the spouses are senior citizens, spreading investments between them could fetch a zero-tax status for a combined income of Rs up to Rs. 10 lakh depending upon the status of both the spouse . If investments are made in Section 80C eligible investments, then the zero-tax status can apply to a combined income as high as Rs 12 lakh (Rs 12,00,000).
- Avoid TDS on interest. Senior citizens should make it a point to submit Form 15H to the entity where the investment is made at the beginning of the year so as to ensure that no tax is deducted at source. The income should be within the threshold limit.
- If suitable, commute pension. Those receiving pension should commute the entire eligible pension (withdraw in lump sum) and keep the uncommuted portion (which is received, say, on a monthly basis) as small as possible. That’s because the uncommuted portion of pension is fully taxable. However, in case of commutation, for government employees, the entire commuted value is tax-exempt. For other employees, a portion of the same (ranging between one-third and half) is exempt from tax.
- Tax-efficient reinvestment. On receipt of such a lump sum, it can be re-invested in some tax-friendly avenues, which can ensure that the resulting income itself is not taxable.
Re-Published
with Amendments.