Personal Finance Planner, Salary Tax Planning, Small Saving Interest Rate NSC, PPF, LIC, Kisan Indira Vikas Patra RBI Tax Free Bonds Tax Rebates Benefits Avaialble
PERSONAL FINANCE PLANNER
| For the financial year ending March 31,
2009, Income tax threshold has been raised to Rs. 1.5 lakhs (from
the existing 1.1 lakhs). This will give a relief of Rs. 4000.00 for each
tax payer. For women there is no tax for income below Rs 1.80 lakh and
senior citizens need not pay tax for income below Rs 2.25 lakh The following tax rates will be applicable for the Financial Year ending March 31, 2009
(A) For All Resident Individual and HUF : (except (i) Resident Women below the age of 65 Years of age and (ii) Resident Senior Citizens (who are above 65 years or more at any time during the said financial year) :-
(B) For Resident Senior Citizens (i.e. who are 65 years or more at any time during the financial year) - The income tax rates are same for "Men" and "Women" who are 65 or more years during the financial year :
(C) For All Resident Women Who are Below the age of 65 years (for women above 65 years age the above rules at (B) will be applicable):-
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Important Rules for filing of Tax Return :
1. Filing of income tax is compulsory for all individuals whose gross annual income exceeds the maximum amount which is not charageble to income tax (e.g. Rs.2,25,00 for Senior citizens, Rs.1,80,000/- for women below 65 years of age and Rs.1,10,000/- for all other resident individuals
2. The last date for filing of income tax return is usually July 31 for individuals (sometimes the same is extended).
3. You can use Form 2E (Naya Saral) for filing the income tax return.
4. The penalty for non filing of income tax return is Rs.5,000/-
(1) Deductions from Taxable Income (Section 80C) :-
VARIOUS INVESTMENTS OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO INDIVIDUALS AND TAX BENEFITS AVAILABLE UNDER EACH OF THEM
A new section 80C has been introduced (replacing section 88) from the financial year 2005-06. Under this Section, a deduction of upto Rs.1,00,000/- is allowed from Taxable Income in respect of the investments made in some specified schemes. The schemes are similar as were available in Section 88 earlier. Now there are no sectoral caps and individuals can save in any of the schemes upto Rs.1,00,000/- (except PPF, where it is allowed only upto Rs.70,000/-). The earlier Section 88 used to be available to those who earnd upto Rs. 5 lakhs. Section 80L used to allow deduction of interest earned on, say, a National Savings Certificate or a bank deposit up to a limit of Rs 12,000. But now all these are gone .In their place has come Section 80C Now it is available to everybody irrespective of the income level. The tax payers can plan their investments / savings so as to achieve their financial goals. The details of such schemes alongwith some major features of each of these are given below : -
| Saving Scheme | Sec. under which Tax Benefit available | Return | Tax benefits for earnings | Lock in Period |
| National Saving Certificates | Section 80C | 8.00% |
Nil |
6 years |
| Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) | Section 80C | Varies from year to year | Dividend is tax free | 3 years |
| Life Insurance Policies | Section 80C | Varies from year to year | Varies from scheme to scheme | Varies from scheme to scheme |
| Unit Linked Insurance Plan (ULIP) | Section 80C | Varies from year to year | Varies from scheme to scheme | Varies from scheme to scheme (15 to 20 years) |
| Infrastructure Bonds | Section 80C | 5% to 6% | Nil | 3 to 5 years |
| Contribution to EPF / GPF | Section 80C | 8.50% | Interest earned is tax free | Till retirement (loans are permitted) |
| Public Provident Fund (PPF) | Section 80C | 8.00% | Interest earned is tax free | 15 years and extendable. Withdrawals allowed after 7 years. |
| Interest accrued in respect of NSC VIII issue | Section 80C | 8.00% | Nil | Till maturity of NSCs |
| Tuition Fees including admission fees or college fees paid for full time education of any two children of the assessee. | Section 80C | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Repayment of Housing Loan (Principal) | Section 80C | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
| Bank Fixed Deposits (from financial year 2006-07) | Section 80C | Varies (around 6.00%) | Nil | 5 Years |
| Senior Citizens Savings Scheme 2004 (from financial year 2007-08) | Section 80C | |||
| Post Office Time Deposit Account (from financial 2007-08) | Section 80C | |||
(2) Deductions Under Section 80CCC(1) :
Under this section, the contributions by individuals towards "Pension" schemes of LIC or any othr Insurance company, is allowed as deduction of Rs.10,000/-. However, as provided under section 80CCE, the aggregate deduction u/s 80C, and u/s 80CCC and 80CCD can not exceed Rs.1,00,000/-. Thus effectively, now these are covered under the maximum limit of Rs.1,00,000/- under section 80C.
(3) Deductions Under Section 80 D :
Under this Section, the premiums paid by individuals through cheques upto Rs.15,000/- (Rs.20,000/- for senior citizens) towards health insurance policy like "Mediclaim" are allowed to be deducted from income. The above referred higher amount of Rs.20,000/- per year is permitted if at least one of the person, for whose health insurance the premium was paid, was aged 65 years or more at any time during the financial year in which the premium was paid. The premiums paid towards health insurance of self, spouse, dependent parents as well as dependent children are eligible for deduction under this section.
The Union budget (February, 2008) has proposed “an additional deduction of Rs 15,000 under Section 80D to an individual who pays medical insurance premium for his/her parent or parents.”
Section 80D now reads as under:
‘80D. (1) In computing the total income of an assessee, being an individual or a Hindu undivided family, there shall be deducted such sum, as specified in sub-section (2) or sub-section (3), payment of which is made by any mode, other than cash, in the previous year out of his income chargeable to tax.
(2) Where the assessee is an
individual, the sum referred to in sub-section (1) shall be the aggregate of the following, namely:—(a) the whole of the amount paid to effect or to keep in force an insurance on the health of the assessee or his family as does not exceed in the aggregate fifteen thousand rupees; and
(b) the whole of the amount paid to effect or to keep in force an insurance on the health of the parent or parents of the assessee as does not exceed in the aggregate fifteen thousand rupees.
Explanation.–For the purposes of clause (a), “family” means the spouse and dependant children of the assessee.
(3) Where the assessee is a Hindu undivided family, the sum referred to in sub-section (1) shall be the whole of the amount paid to effect or to keep in force an insurance on the health of any member of that Hindu undivided family as does not exceed in the aggregate fifteen thousand rupees.
(4) Where the sum specified in clause (a) or clause (b) of sub-section (2) or in sub-section (3) is paid to effect or keep in force an insurance on the health of any person specified therein, and who is a senior citizen, the provisions of this section shall have effect as if for the words “fifteen thousand rupees”, the words “twenty thousand rupees” had been substituted.
Explanation.— For the purposes of this sub-section, “senior citizen” means an individual resident in India who is of the age of sixty-five years or more at any time during the relevant previous year.
(5) The insurance referred to in this section shall be in accordance with a scheme made in this behalf by—
(a) the General Insurance Corporation of India formed under section 9 of the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Act, 1972 and approved by the Central Government in this behalf; or
(b) any other insurer and approved by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority established under sub-section (1) of section 3 of the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999.’
(3A) Deductions Under Section 80 E :
Under this section, deduction is available for payment of interest on a loan
taken for higher education from any financial institution or an approved
charitable institution. The loan should be taken for either pursuing a full-time
graduate or post-graduate course in engineering, medicine or management, or a
post-graduate course in applied science or pure science.
The deduction is available for the first year when the interest is paid and for
the subsequent seven years. Up to March 2005, deduction was available for the
repayment of principal and interest aggregating to Rs 40,000 a year.
(4) Deductions Under Section 24(b) :
Under this section, interest on borrowed capital for the purpose of house purchase or construction is deductible from taxable income upto Rs.1,50,000/- is deductible from income. (certain conditions are to be fulfilled)
TAX FREE INCOMES :
Some of the incomes are completely exempted from income tax and that too without any upper limit. The following incomes which are tax free :-
(a) Interest on EPF / GPF / PPF
(b) Interest on GOI Tax Free Bonds
(c) Dividends on Shares and Mutual Funds. Dividend income from companies / Equity Oriented Mutual funds is completely exempt in the hands of investors. Dividend is also tax free in the hands of investors in case of debt-oriented Mutual Fund schemes. (However, the Asset Management Company is liable to deduct 22.44% distribution tax in case of non individuals / non HUF investors and 14.025% in case of invididuals or HUF investors.)
(d) Capital receipts from Life Insurance policies i.e. sums received either on death of the insured or on maturity of Life insurance plans. However, in case of life insurance policies issued after March 31, 2004, exemption on maturity payment u/s 10(10D) is available only if premium paid in any year does not exceed 20% of the sum asssured;
(e) Interest on Saving Bank account with Post Office
(f) Long term capial gains on sale of shares and equity mutual funds after 01/10/2004, if security transaction is paid / imposed on such transactions.
GIFT TAX :
Gift tax was abolished with effect from October 1, 1998. The gifts are no longer taxable in the hands of donor or donee. However, w.e.f. September 1, 2004, any gift received by an individual or HUF will be included in taxable income, if the amount of tax exceeds Rs.25,000/-. However, gifts received from any of the following will continue to remain tax free :-
(i) Spouse;
(ii) Brother or sister;
(iii) Brother or sister of the spouse;
(iv) Brother or sister of either of the parents of the individual;
(v) Any lineal ascendant or descendant of the individual
(vi) Any lineal ascendant or descendant of the spouse of the individual
(vii) spouse of the person referred to in (2) or (6) or received on the occasion of marriage or under a will by way of inheritance
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| Section 54EC of the I-T Act, 1961 : Relief from Capital Gains Tax You can make good use of this Section to save Taxes specially when you sell some property. The Income Tax laws provides for taxes on long-term capital gains at 20 per cent for individuals and foreign firms and 30 per cent for domestic companies. However, Section 54EC of the I-T Act, 1961, provides relief from capital gains tax. Under this Section, gains on transfer of a long-term capital asset can be exempted from tax if the money is invested in bonds of specified institutions such as NABARD, the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC), SIDBI or the National Highway Authority of India. Such bonds are redeemable after three years. However, to save tax, you have to invest in these bonds within six months from the date of transfer of the original asset. Thus investing in these bonds will effectively mean that your money is locked in for three years. If you want to buy a new property one or two years after transferring the original asset, you will have to either wait or look for alternative funds. After the lock-in period or on the maturity of the bonds, the investor is free to put in his money in any kind of asset. However, the interest on the bond is taxable. On the other hand, State Bank of India, offers SBI Capgains Plus Scheme where lock-in period is absent, a slightly higher interest rate compared to the capital gain tax saving bonds is offered. The proceeds of the sale of the capital asset can be parked in the fixed deposit scheme under the Capgains Plus plan at an interest rate marginally higher than what bonds under Section 54 EC would fetch. The interest earned will be taxed at prevailing rates. However, unlike the bonds under 54 EC, the depositor cannot put the money in a different kind of asset. The plan stipulates that re-investment should be made on the specified asset only. Therefore, this scheme is a boon for people who have sold their property but haven't been able to purchase the property within the stipulated period. Once a final decision is taken on the property you want to reinvest in, you can opt for an exit from SBI Plan, but you will need to get a certificate of consent from the assessment officer.
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PREVIOUS YEAR'S INCOME TAX SLABS
| The following tax rates
were applicable for the Financial Year ending March
31, 2008 (A) For All Resident Individual and HUF : (except (i) Resident Women below the age of 65 Years of age and (ii) Resident Senior Citizens (who are above 65 years or more at any time during the said financial year) :-
(B) For Resident Senior Citizens (i.e. who are 65 years or more at any time during the financial year) - The income tax rates are same for "Men" and "Women" who are 65 or more years during the financial year :
(C) For All Resident Women Who are Below the age of 65 years (for women above 65 years age the above rules at (B) will be applicable):-
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