Direct Tax Booklet
Direct Tax Booklet
Direct Tax Booklet
1. Preface 01
2. Rates of Tax 02
3. Residence and Scope of Total Income 04
4. Personal Taxation 05
5. Corporate Taxation 07
6. Capital Gains 09
7. Business Reorganizations 09
8. International Taxation 10
9. Non-Profit Organizations 13
10. Withholding Taxes 13
11. Miscellaneous Provisions 14
12. Compliance Procedures 15
13. Wealth-Tax 16
Abbreviations
BR - Business Reorganization
CIT - Commissioner of Income-tax
COS - Companies
DDT - Dividend Distribution Tax
DTC - Direct Taxes Code, 2009
IFRS - International Financial Reporting Standards
ITA - Income-tax Act, 1961
LLP - Limited Liability Partnerships
M & A - Merger & Acquisitions
PPE - Property, Plant & Equipment
Preface
The Finance Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee has honoured
his commitment of releasing the New Direct Taxes Code,
2009 for comments and recommendations within 45 days
from the date of presentation of Union Budget, 2009 in
the Parliament. The draft of the New Direct Taxes Code
alongwith Discussion Paper is now available in public
domain. The Code is proposed to be made applicable from
1st April, 2011. We welcome this initiative taken by the
Finance Minister.
BDO Haribhakti.
Tax Advisory Services
1st September, 2009
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Rates of Tax
• For Individuals:
Existing Rates
Income Slab (INR) Tax Rate
Upto 1,60,000* NIL
1,60,000* – 3,00,000 10%
3,00,000 – 5,00,000 20%
Above 5,00,000 30%
Every Unincorporated
entity (includes
30% 30%
partnership firms and
LLPs)
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For companies
Category Existing rates As per DTC
Income-tax
(Domestic 30 25
Cos.)
Income-tax 40 25
(Foreign Cos.)
Surcharge
(Domestic 10% NIL
Cos.)
Surcharge 2.5% NIL
(Foreign Cos.)
Education 3% NIL
Cess (Both)
Levied at 15 percent Tax on gross
of the adjusted book assets
profit in the case of introduced as
those companies under:
where income-tax
Minimum (a) 0.25% of gross
payable on the
Alternate Tax assets for Banking
taxable income Cos.
under normal (b) 2% of gross
provisions of the Act assets for other
is less than 15% of Cos.
adjusted book profit.
Dividend
Distribution 15% 15%
Tax
Branch
Profits Tax NIL 15%
(Foreign Cos.)
1% on Net-wealth
Wealth-tax exceeding Rs.15 NIL
Lakhs
Note
As at present, dividends subjected to DDT will be exempt in
the hands of recipients.
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Residence and Scope of Total Income
Residential Status of Individuals
An individual is resident of India in any financial year, if he
is in India for:
(a) 182 days or more; or
(b) (i) 60 days or more in that year; and
(ii) 365 days or more in preceding 4 years.
Non-Resident Individual on becoming Resident is proposed
to be taxed only on Indian sourced income for initial two
years, if he qualifies as a non-resident in nine financial years
preceding the year in which he becomes a resident.
Residence test for Corporates
A company is considered to be a resident in India in any
financial year, if it is an Indian Company, or its place of
control and management of its affairs, at any time during
the year, is situated wholly, or partly, in India. The word
‘partly’ is newly added by the DTC and unless removed in
the final DTC Act, the change may create problems for non-
resident cos.
Residence test for Other Assessees
Every other person shall be resident in India in any financial
year, if the place of control and management of its affairs,
at any time during the financial year, is situated wholly or
partly in India.
Scope of Total Income
For residents:
All income derived from whatever source which accrues/
is deemed to accrue in/outside India or which is received/
deemed to be received in/outside India.
For Non residents:
All income derived from whatever source which accrues/
is deemed to accrue in India in the financial year, or is
received/deemed to be received in India in the financial
year.
The income shall be deemed to accrue in India, whether
directly or ‘indirectly’, through or from:-
(a) a business connection in India;
(b) a property in India;
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(c) an asset or source of income in India; or
(d) the transfer, directly or ‘indirectly’, of a capital asset
situated in India.
Use of word ‘indirectly’ has far reaching impact and transfer
of asset outside India could become taxable in India under
the DTC.
Personal Taxation
Income from employment
• Income from employment shall be gross salary less
permitted deductions
• Gross salary shall be amount paid or due (including
arrears or advance) in the Financial Year.
• Permitted deductions:
• Profession tax
• Transport allowance
• Payment in relation to Voluntary Retirement Scheme/
Gratuity/Commuted Pension deductible from
employment income if invested with permitted savings
intermediaries.
• Existing exemptions such as house rent allowance,
leave travel concession, leave encashment, tax on non
monetary perquisites borne by the employer, mdedical
reimbursements, etc. are proposed to be deleted.
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property shall be deductible.
• Deduction for repairs and maintenance is proposed to be
reduced to 20% of the Gross Rent as against 30% earlier.
• Service tax on lease rental shall be deductible on payment
basis.
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Corporate Taxation
Computation of Income as per Income-Expense
Model
Business Income to be calculated as under:
Gross earnings
Ambit of business income has been widened to cover:
• Profit on sale of business capital assets (fixed assets),
undertaking under a slump sale and consideration with
respect to transfer of any self-generated business asset.
• The reduction, remission or cessation of any liability by
way of loan, deposit, advance or trade credit.
• Security deposit on lease of more than 12 years is
proposed to be considered as income and, hence,
taxable.
Operating expenditure
• Operating expenditure includes specified expenditure laid
out and incurred wholly and exclusively for the purpose
of business.
• Operating expenditure does not include:
1. Personal expenses.
2. Capital expenses.
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3. Dividend declared or distributed.
• Allowability of expenditure on actual payment basis
in case of statutory liability, bonus, commission, leave
encashment, gratuity, contribution to provident fund,
etc. continued.
Capital Allowances
• Capital allowances consist of :
1. Depreciation/Accelerated depreciation.
2. Terminal allowance is deductible in case all the assets
in the block cease to exist.
3. Scientific research and development allowance.
150% Weighted deduction for in-house scientific R & D
expenditure extended to all industries.
Tax Incentives
• E
xisting profit linked tax incentives in IT Act are to be
grandfathered.
• DTC substitutes profit-linked incentives with a new
scheme wherein any capital expenditure incurred for
specified businesses will be allowed as a deductible
expenditure and the unabsorbed expenditure shall
be allowed to be carried forward till it is absorbed
completely.
• The new scheme will apply to specified businesses
relating to power, infrastructure facility, hospital in
specified areas, processing of fruits and vegetables, cross
country natural gas or crude or petroleum oil pipeline
network, cold chain facility, agricultural produce, mineral
or natural gas and Special Economic Zone.
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Capital Gain
• Rate: The concept of short term and long term is
proposed to be eliminated and, hence, there will be no
preferential rate of tax or exemption on capital gain.
Hence the capital gain will be taxable at respective slab
rate applicable to the assessee.
• Indexation: Indexation benefit would be available for
assets held for more than one year and the base date for
indexation would be 1st April, 2000.
• All assets of the business are to be classified into
Business assets and Investment assets. Gains on sale of
Investment assets will be taxable under the head ‘Income
from Capital Gains’ and gains on sale of Business asset
will be taxed under the head business income ‘Income
from Business & Profession’.
• Security Transaction Tax is proposed to be abolished.
• Cost of acquisition or cost of improvement of an asset
which is not determinable, shall be considered as Nil and
capital gains to be computed accordingly.
• Capital loss to be carried forward for an indefinite
period.
• If capital is infused in a company in the form of capital
asset, the same would be treated as transfer and the
capital gain on such transfer will be taxable in the year in
which such infusion is made.
• The benefit of rollover i.e. exemption of capital gain
for reinvestment of the sale consideration or capital
gain in specified modes, will be limited to specified
circumstances.
Business Reorganization (Merger &
Acquisition)
• BR means reorganization of business of two or more
residents involving an amalgamation, demerger
and merger under a scheme sanctioned by Central
Government.
• BR will be tax neutral in the hands of shareholders.
• Definition of amalgamation to include amalgamation
of a firm, AOP, BOI into a Company and other
specified forms of re-organization. Further, Mergers of
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Co-operative Societies also covered in the definition of
amalgamation.
• In case of amalgamation, certain losses apart from
regular business losses will also be allowed to be carried
forward.
• In case of M&A, successor shall be eligible to claim
business loss irrespective of nature of business carried
on by predecessor.
• Losses of closely held companies will continue to lapse
on change in shareholding of 50% or more.
• Profit in case of Slump sale i.e. sale of undertaking would
form part of business income and it will not be treated
as capital gain. However, deduction to the extent of net
worth of undertaking sold shall be allowed.
International Taxation
• Foreign company to be treated as resident if its place of
control and management at any time during the year is
situated ‘wholly’ or ‘partly’ in India.
• Scope of income deemed to accrue and arise in India
widened to include income accruing from direct/indirect
transfer of capital assets situated in India, has also been
sought to be brought within the Indian tax net.
• The definition of FTS has been widened to include
development and transfer of design, drawing, plan and
software or similar services.
• Definition of Royalty has been widened to include the
consideration for use/right to use of transmission
by satellite, cable, optic fibre, ship or aircraft and live
coverage of any event.
• FTS/Royalty will be taxable in India even if services are
rendered outside India or payment for the services is
made outside India.
• Arrears of tax of non resident would be recovered from
any of his assets/recoverable; located anywhere in the
world.
• Non resident head office expenditure allowability
shall be restricted to 0.5% of total sales, turnover or
gross receipt.
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Withholding Tax rates in case of Non-Resident
Deductees (Major Heads):
DTAA
• Central Government shall be empowered to enter into a
tax treaty for relief from double taxation and for exchange
of information.
• Furnishing of tax residency certificate mandatory for
claiming relief under DTAA.
• Neither the DTC nor the tax treaty shall have a preferential
status and in case of a conflict between the two, the later
provision in time shall prevail.
Transfer Pricing
• The report from the Chartered Accountant, certifying
the arm’s length nature of international transaction with
associated enterprise, need to be filed by 31st August
directly with the Transfer Pricing Officer.
• Associate Enterprise(AE): The scale of the term AE has
been expanded by lowering the previous threshold
limits (TL). The chart depicting the same is provided
hereunder:
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• Advance Pricing Agreement (APA): In order to reduce the
litigation under transfer pricing regulation, APA has been
introduced whereby CBDT shall be granted authority for
entering into APA in respect of the arm’s length price
with the tax payer for international transactions. The
said agreement will be valid for a period upto maximum
5 consecutive financial years.
• Safe Harbour Rule (SHR): CBDT is also in process of
formulating the SHR. It will provide the circumstances in
which the tax authorities would automatically accept the
transfer price declared by the assessee.
• Penalty
Particulars Proposed (In INR)
100% to 200% of tax
TP adjustment
on such adjustment
Failure to maintain
50,000 to 200,000
documentation
Failure to furnish documentation 50,000 to 100,000
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Non Profit Organizations
• The Code has proposed a new tax regime for all trusts
and institutions carrying on charitable activities which
will be uniformly applied to all non-profit organizations
irrespective of the nature of their activities.
• Pass through status for the trust taxation to continue.
• “Charitable purpose” will be replaced by the phrase
“Permitted Welfare Activities”.
• Permitted welfare activities is proposed to be defined
to mean any activity involving relief of the poor,
advancement of education, provision of medical relief,
preservation of environment, preservation of monuments
or places or objects of artistic or historic interest and
the advancement of any other object of general public
utility.
• A non-profit organization has to compulsorily register
itself by making an application to the Chief Commissioner
or Commissioner.
• Trust registered under Religious Endowments Act to be
fully tax exempt. However, donations to such religious
trusts will be deductible in donor’s hand.
Withholding Taxes
• Withholding tax rates are given in schedules in DTC as
against independent sections given in IT Act
• Disallowance of expenditure for non-withholding of taxes
is proposed to be extended to all payments.
• Expenditure will be disallowed on account of non-
compliance of withholding tax provisions. Further,
expenditure would be allowable only if withholding tax is
paid within 2 years.
• No provision for obtaining a lower withholding tax
certificate from the Assessing Officer.
• Central Government to prescribe the framework and rules
for obtaining and granting nil withholding tax certificate.
• No benefit of self-declaration by a person for not
withholding tax from certain payments viz. interest
income, income on units of mutual funds, etc.
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Withholding Tax Rates in case of Resident Deductees
(Major Heads):
Miscellaneous provisions
Income from Residuary Sources
• Income which does not form part of any other head will
be taxed under this head. Following incomes shall be
taxable under this head:
• Interest income.
• Dividend income.
• Amount received on settlement or breach of contract.
• Redemption or withdrawal of any investment earlier
allowed as deduction.
• Amount exceeding Rs. 20,000 taken/repaid as loan other
than Account Payee Cheque or Draft.
• Sum received (including Bonus) under Insurance Policy
which is not a pure Life Insurance Policy.
• Gifts received (in cash or in kind) from non-relatives. The
earlier exemption of Rs. 50,000 under the Income-tax Act
is proposed to be discontinued.
• Expenses incurred specifically for earning residuary
income will be allowed as deduction.
Compliance procedures
oncept of previous year and assessment year is replaced
C
by financial year which means a period of 12 months
starting from 1st day of April.
Concept of Income has been replaced with Tax Base.
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Due Date for payment of advance-tax
Every assessee will be required to pay advance-tax during
the financial year, if the amount of advance-tax payable
exceeds Rs. 10,000.
In case of companies: In case of any other person:
Date of Amt. Date of Amt.
Instalment payable Instalment payable
15th June 15% 15th September 30%
15th September 45% 15th December 60%
15th December 75% 15th March 100%
15th March 100%
Wealth tax
Exemption limit: Rs. 500 million.
Rate of tax: 0.25% of net wealth.
Liability on: Individuals, HUF and Private Discretionary
Trusts
Payable on: All assets
Exclusions:
• Assets located outside India of foreign citizens/non-
resident individuals/HUFs
• Any one house or part of a house or a plot of land
belonging to an individual or a HUF which is acquired or
constructed before 1 April, 2000.
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Notes
17
Notes
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BDO Haribhakti group has taken initiative in giving
recommendations to the Finance Ministry. We invite
all readers to participate in this great initiative taken
by the Government in releasing the New Direct Tax
Code, 2009 and give their feedback by accessing
our website www.bdoharibhakti.co.in or send us
an email on [email protected]
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