Submission of investment proof by employee to employer

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The Financial Year end is round the corner, and shortly, all employees are required to submit the investment proofs for the year 2015-16. Since the Income tax department made it very clear to all employers to verify the geniuses of each claim made by the employee (circular 20/2015), the document verification will be more stringent from the employers as considered to the previous period.  Employers have the right to define the guidelines in accordance, with more controls and riders, with the income tax rules, to safeguard the interest of the organization.

DDOS TO SATISFY THEMSELVES ABOUT THE GENUINENESS OF CLAIM:

“The Drawing and Disbursing Officers should satisfy themselves about the actual deposits/ subscriptions / payments made by the employees, by calling for such particulars/ information as they deem necessary before allowing the aforesaid deductions. In case the DDO is not satisfied about the genuineness of the employee’s claim regarding any deposit/ subscription/ payment made by the employee, he should not allow the same, and the employee would be free to claim the deduction/ rebate on such amount by filing his return of income and furnishing the necessary proof etc., therewith, to the satisfaction of the Assessing Officer”

A generic guidelines for the investment document submission is as follows, employers still have right to add more riders to it.

Taxation Section	Guidelines
Rent Payments	Monthly rental receipts Following information is mandatory in the rent receipt. Landlord’s name and address, signature of the Landlord. Landlord’s PAN or a self-declaration, in case the annual rent amount is greater than 1.0 lakh. Revenue stamp to be affixed for the cash payments. Loss on self-occupied property and HRA exemption should be allowed in the same city- (Ref: Notification 20/2015).
Interest on Housing Loan- Self Occupied Property.	Interest certificate from the bank/financial institution with the total interest and principal paid/due for the FY. Completion certificate of the house property from the builder or Self-declaration from the employee with the details of occupation.
Income / Loss from House Property- Let out Property	Interest certificate from the bank/financial institution with the total interest and principal paid/due for the FY. Completion certificate of the house property from the builder or Self-declaration from the employee with the details of occupation. Detailed calculation of Let out income/loss.
Insurance Premium/ULIP/Pension scheme.	Premium receipts paid during current financial year, in name of self, spouse, children.
National Saving Certificate (NSC)	Copy of NSC certificate in the name of employee.
Public Provident Fund- PPF	Copy of the stamped deposit receipt, paid during current financial year or Copy of the Passbook with clear mention as PPF Account.
Interest accrued on N S C deposited in the earlier FYs.	Copy of the NSC’s purchased in the previous FYs. Interest accrued will be considered as other income too.
Tax Saving Mutual Funds	Copy of investment certificate with the employee name, Investment Date, Amount, Type of Investment. Only the investments made under Tax Saving Fund / Plan will be considered
ELSS	Copy of investment certificate with the employee name, Investment Date, Amount, Type of Investment. Only the investments made under Tax Saving Fund / Plan will be considered.
Children Tuition Fees.	Copy of Tuition Fees paid to educational institution. Payment in nature of Donations, Capitation fees, Uniform fee, Sports fee, Van Fees, Shoes & Sock etc., are not allowed.
Principal Repayment of Housing Loan	Same as interest on housing loan mentioned above.
Post Office –Term Deposit with more than 5 year term.	Copy of deposit receipt.
Tax Saving Fixed Deposits with Scheduled Banks.	Copy of Deposit Receipt invested during current financial year, qualified benefit under Sec 80C of the Income Tax Act.
80CCG – RAJIV GANDHI EQUITY SAVINGS SCHEME The investment is made in listed equity shares/Mutual funds. Deduction is limited to 50% of the amount invested in such equity shares subject to a maximum of Rs.25000/-	Mandatory info. Gross Total Income of the employee for the financial year shall not exceed twelve lakh rupees. The employee should be a new retail investor as specified under the scheme. Copy of the Form A submitted with the Depository Participant duly acknowledged. Self declaration from the employee duly attested by the Depository Participant.
MEDICLAIM – Deduction U/S 80 D – including preventive health check up. Employee, spouse, dependent children, and parents.	Copy of premium receipt paid during the FY. Receipt of payment of preventive health check-up of the employee or family.
Medical Treatment on Handicapped Dependant – Deduction U/S 80 DD	Proof of a. Expenditure incurred towards medical treatment, training and rehabilitation of a handicapped dependent ., or b. Amount paid or deposited under any scheme framed in this behalf by the LIC or UTI or any other insurer and approved by the Board for the maintenance of the handicapped dependent c. Form 10-IA.
Medical Treatment Expenses for the specified disease  – Deduction U/S 80DDB	Medical Bills / expenditure incurred by way of medical treatment for a specified disease along with a certificate from a hospital in the prescribed form. Form 10-I
Interest paid on Higher Education Loan – Deduction U/S 80 E	Copy of Bank certificate stating that the loan and interest has been paid and amount payable during the financial year.
For Self – Permanent Disability – Deduction U/s 80 U	Form 10 I-A
NPS – 80CCD(1B)	Copy of the stamped deposit receipt, paid during current financial year and copy of the Passbook with clear mention as NPS Account.

Employees who joined after 1^st April 2015 to the current organization, are requested to submit their previous employment income and compute the consolidated tax liability for the year. In absence they will liable to pay the differential tax with 18% interest, while filing their personal return with income tax department..

New facility of pre-filling TDS data while submitting online rectification

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Central Board of Direct Taxes has simplified the process of online rectification of incorrect TDS details filed in the Income Tax Return. Taxpayers were required to fill in complete details of the entire TDS schedule while applying for rectification on the e-filing portal of the Income-tax Department (www.incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in). Errors due to incomplete TDS details in rectification applications were leading to delays in processing of such applications thereby causing hardship to the taxpayers. To avoid this inconvenience, a new facility has been provided for pre-filling of TDS schedule while submitting online rectification request on the e-filing portal to facilitate easy correction or up-dating of TDS details. This is expected to considerably ease the burden of compliance on the taxpayers seeking rectification due to TDS mismatch

BRIEF - THE BLACK MONEY BILL

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Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of New Tax) Bill, 2015 (The black money bill) was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday Dt. 13.05.2015.  It is awaiting Presidents assent.

The Bill provides for separate taxation of any undisclosed income in relation to foreign income and assets. Such income will henceforth not be taxed under the Income-tax Act but under the stringent provisions of the new legislation.

Main features of the  Bill :

1.      Rigorous imprisonment

Ø  Those who conceal income and assets and indulge in tax evasion in relation to foreign assets can face rigorous imprisonment up to 10 years.

2.    Non compoundable

Ø  The offence will be non-compoundable and the offenders will not be permitted to approach the Settlement Commission for resolution of disputes.

3.   Tax & penalty

Ø  Undisclosed foreign income or assets shall be taxed at the flat rate of 30 per cent. No exemption or deduction or set off of any carried forward losses which may be admissible under the existing Income-tax Act, 1961.

Ø  Further concealment of income in relation to a foreign asset will attract penalty equal to three times the amount of tax (90 per cent of the undisclosed income or the value of the undisclosed asset).

4.   Offence liable to confiscation

Ø  The Bill also proposes to make concealment of income and evasion of tax in relation to a foreign asset a 'predicate offence' under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, which will enable the enforcement agencies to attach and confiscate the accounted assets, held abroad and launch proceedings.

5. Non filing or inadequate disclosure may lead to imprisonment

Ø  Non-filing of income tax returns or filing of returns with inadequate disclosure of foreign assets liable for prosecution with punishment of rigorous imprisonment of up to 7 years.

6.  Protection for minor balances

Ø  Failure to report bank accounts with a maximum balance of up to Rs.5 lakh at any time during the year will not entail penalty or prosecution.

7.  Liability to be computed on current price and not cost

Ø  The tax liability on an overseas property would be computed on the basis of its current market price, not the price at which it was acquired.

8.  Short window to come clean

Ø  The Income Tax assesses with overseas assets will get a one-time opportunity for declaring them. The time-frame of the short window will be notified.

9.  Additional penalty for non declaration after the short window is over

Ø  Failure to furnish return in respect of foreign income or assets shall attract a penalty of Rs.10 lakh. The same amount of penalty is prescribed where the assesse has filed a return of income, but has not disclosed the foreign income and asset or has furnished inaccurate particulars of the same.

Amendment in Section 194C relating to TDS on Transporters w.e.f. 01.06.2015

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With Effect From 01.06.2015 TDS on amount paid or credited to Transporters/Goods Carriers is applicable.

But TDS will not be required if a declaration by transport owner is provided stating that he does not own more than 10 goods carriages at any time during the previous year.

Further, Obtaining PAN of Transporter is still a requirement alongwith the above declaration. Threshhold  Limit of INR 75,000 for Total payment and Single payment of INR 30,000 is still applicable.

It means if payment or credits to any transporter exceeds the threshold limit then a declaration alongwith PAN would be required.

Applicability of New Service Tax Rate of 14% w.e.f. 01st June, 2015

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The New Service Tax @ 14% shall come into effect from 1^st June 2015 as notified by the Central Government vide notification 14/2015. However an additional tax in the case of Swach Bharat Cess yet to be notified.

Date for Calculation of Interest U/s 234- Date of Cheque presentation or Clearing?

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MADRAS HIGH COURT

Commissioner of Income Tax Chennai.
Vs.
REPCO Home Finance Ltd.

T.C.(A).No.601 of 2014
DATED: 11.11.2014

Issue- Whether interest under Section 234C of the Act is to be calculated based on date of clearing of the cheque or date of presentation of the cheque.

Held- It is not the case of the department that the cheque issued by the assessee was dishonourned. Once the cheque issued by the assessee is encashed, in the light of the decisions referred supra, the payment relates back to the date of receipt of the cheque.

No processing of returns for I-T refund if selected for Scrutiny

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Government of India

Ministry of Finance

Department of Revenue

Central Board of Direct Taxes

North Block, New Delhi,

 Instruction No.1/2015

Dated -13th January, 2015

Subject: – Clarification regarding applicability of section 143(1D) of the Income-tax Act, 1961 -reg.

Sub-section (ID) of section 143 of the Income-tax Act, 1961 (‘Act’) provides that where a notice has been issued to a taxpayer under sub-section (2) of section 143 of the Act, it shall not be necessary to process the return in such a case.

 2.      Some doubts have been expressed, in view of the words “shall not be necessary”  used in the said sub-section, as to whether this provision permits processing of returns having a  refund claim, where notice under section 143(2) of the Act has been issued.

 3.        The matter has been examined by the Board.  Sub-section (1D) of section 143 of the Act was introduced by the Finance Act, 2012 with effect from 01.07.2012. The purpose of introduction of this sub-section has been stated in the Explantory Note to the Finance Act as under: “Under the existing provisions, every return of income is to be processed under sub-section (1) of section 143 and refund, if any, due is to be issued to the taxpayer. Some returns of income are also  selected for scrutiny which may lead to raising a demand for taxes although refunds may have been    issued earlier at the time of processing. It is therefore proposed to amend the provisions of the Income-tax Act to provide that processing of return will not be necessary in a case where notice under sub-section (2) of section 143 has been issued for scrutiny of the return.” Thus, in cases where an unprocessed return is selected for scrutiny, the legislative intent is to prevent the issue of refund after processing as scrutiny proceedings may result in demand for taxes on finalisation of the assessment subsequently.

4. Considering the unambiguous language of the relevant provision and the intention of law as discussed above, the Central Board of Direct Taxes, in exercise of the powers conferred on it under section 119 of the Act hereby clarifies that the processing of a return cannot be undertaken after notice has been issued under sub-section (2 ) of section 143 of the Act. It shall however, be desirable that scrutiny assessments in such cases are completed expeditiously.

5.     This may be brought to the notice of all concerned for strict Compliance.

6.     Hindi version to follow.