Deductions under Chapter VI A

Introduction
The last budget brought bad news to the assessee with the amendments primarily to section 80C which
reduced the rate of premium limits. This situation is still continuing with little amendment.
Amendments to section 80CCG, 80G, 80JJAA and insertion of new section 80EE have granted further
relief to the assessee. Let us have a quick look at each of these.

Section 80C Life insurance premium

Under 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 10% of the actual capital sum assured.
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; because of this, a lot of
people are denied the deduction.
Considering the above fact, the finance minister in Budget 2013, 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 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 allowed to the extent the premium paid does not exceed 15% of the actual capital sum
assured.
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This amendment will take effect from 1 April 2014 and will accordingly apply to the assessment year
2014-15 and subsequent years.

Section 80D Deduction for contribution to Health

Scheme
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 or 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 Rs. 15,000/-, 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 has been 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.
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This amendment will take effect from 1 April 2014 and will accordingly apply to the assessment year
2014-15 and subsequent years.

Section 80CCG - Expansion in the scope

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 50% of the amount invested in such equity shares to the extent that the said
deduction does not exceed Rs. 25,000/- .
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. The 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.
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This amendment will take effect from 1 April, 2014 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the
assessment year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment year.

Section 80EE Deduction of interest on Housing Loan

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 Rs. 1Lakh and
shall be allowed in computing the total income of the individual for the assessment year beginning on
01.04.2014 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
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year beginning on 1 April, 2015.
It is also provided that the deduction shall be subject to the following conditions: All Rights Reserved Udyog Software

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(i) The loan is sanctioned by the financial institution during the period beginning on 1 April, 2013
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and ending on 31 March, 2014;
(ii) The amount of loan sanctioned for acquisition of the residential house property does not
exceed Rs. 25 Lakhs;
(iii) The value of the residential house property does not exceed Rs. 40 Lakhs;
(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 above, 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.
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This amendment will take effect from 1 April, 2014 and accordingly apply in relation to the assessment
year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment year.
For the purpose of this section
Financial institution means a banking company to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949
Applies including any bank or banking institution referred to in section 51 of that Act or a housing
Finance company

Section 80G Deduction for Donations made

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 @ 50% 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 @ 100%.
In the case of donations made to the National Childrens Fund, deduction is allowed @50% 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 Childrens Fund is also a Fund of national importance, it is proposed to allow 100%
deduction in respect of any sum paid to the Fund in computing the total income of an assessee.
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This amendment will take effect from 1 April, 2014 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to
assessment year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment years.

Section 80GGB and 80GGC Donation to Political Parties

Under the existing provisions of section 80GGB, any sum contributed by an Indian company to any
political party or an electoral trust in the previous year, is allowed as deduction in computing the total
income of such Indian company. A similar deduction is available to an assessee, being any person
other than local authority and artificial juridical person under section 80GGC.
There is no specific mode provided for making such contribution. With a view to discourage cash
payments by the contributors, it is proposed to amend the provisions of aforesaid sections, so as to
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provide that no deduction shall be allowed under section 80GGB and 80GGC in respect of any sum
contributed by way of cash.
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This amendment will take effect from 1 April, 2014 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the
assessment year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment years.

Section 80-IA Extension of sunset date

Under the existing provisions contained in the clause (iv) of subsection (4) of section 80IA, a deduction
of profits and gains is allowed to an undertaking which,
a) Is set up in any part of India for the generation or generation and distribution of power if it begins
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to generate power at any time during the period beginning on 1 April, 1993 and ending on 31
March, 2013;
b) Starts transmission or distribution by laying a network of new transmission or distribution lines at
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any time during the period beginning on 1 April, 1999 and ending on 31 March, 2013;
c) Undertakes substantial renovation and modernization of the existing network of transmission or
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distribution lines at any time during the period beginning on 1 April, 2004 and ending on 31
March, 2013.
With a view to provide further time to the undertakings to commence the eligible activity to avail the tax
incentive, it is proposed to amend the above provisions so as to extend the terminal date by a further
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period of one year i.e. up to 31 March, 2014.
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These amendments will take effect from 1 April, 2014 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the
assessment year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment years.

Section 80JJAA Deduction of additional wages

The existing provisions contained in section 80JJAA of the Income-tax Act provide for a deduction of an
amount equal to 30% 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 30% 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.

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

Conclusion
The Budget has wrought further relief to assesses in terms of deductions under chapter VI A. The good
thing about the budget is, nothing has been taken back, it has only added or amended few deductions
giving opportunity for the assesses to claim more deductions, thus decreasing the tax liability.

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