Union Budget 2022: Five key taxation points that impacts the common man, salaried class

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has made no announcement regarding the Income Tax bracket, a segment that was highly awaited by the individual taxpayers. However, the FM has made several other announcements that has a direct impact on the common man and the salaried class.

Here's looking at five key taxation points that impacts the common man and salaried class

FM Introduces new Updated ITR return filing window

India is growing at an accelerated pace and people are undertaking multiple financial transactions. The Income Tax Department has established a robust framework of reporting of taxpayers' transactions. In this context, some taxpayers may realize that they have committed omissions or mistakes in correctly estimating their income for tax payment. To provide an opportunity to correct such errors, I am proposing a new provision 22 permitting taxpayers to file an Updated Return on payment of additional tax. This updated return can be filed within two years from the end of the relevant assessment year. Presently, if the department finds out that some income has been missed out by the assessee, it goes through a lengthy process of adjudication. Instead, with this proposal now, there will be a trust reposed in the taxpayers that will enable the assessee herself to declare the income that she may have missed out earlier while filing her return. Full details of the proposal are given in the Finance Bill. It is an affirmative step in the direction of voluntary tax compliance.

Tax relief to persons with disability

The parent or guardian of a differently abled person can take an insurance scheme for such person. The present law provides for deduction to the parent or guardian only if the lump sum payment or annuity is available to the differently abled person on the death of the subscriber i.e. parent or guardian. There could be situations where differently abled dependants may need payment of annuity or lump sum amount even during the lifetime of their parents/guardians. "I propose to thus allow the payment of annuity and lump sum amount to the differently abled dependent during the lifetime of parents/guardians, i.e., on parents/ guardians attaining the age of sixty years," said FM.

Parity between employees of State and Central government

At present, the Central Government contributes 14 per cent of the salary of its employee to the National Pension System (NPS) Tier-I. This is allowed as a deduction in computing the income of the employee. 23 However, such deduction is allowed only to the extent of 10 per cent of the salary in case of employees of the State government. "To provide equal treatment to both Central and State government employees, I propose to increase the tax deduction limit from 10 per cent to 14 per cent on employer’s contribution to the NPS account of State Government employees as well. This would help in enhancing the social security benefits of the state government employees and bring them at par with central government employees," said FM.

Scheme for taxation of virtual digital assets

There has been a phenomenal increase in transactions in virtual digital assets. The magnitude and frequency of these transactions have made it imperative to provide for a specific tax regime. Accordingly, for the taxation of virtual digital assets, FM proposed to provide that any income from transfer of any virtual digital asset shall be taxed at the rate of 30 per cent. No deduction in respect of any expenditure or allowance shall be allowed while computing such income except cost of acquisition. Further, loss from transfer of virtual digital asset cannot be set off against any other income. 

TDS on payment made in relation to transfer of virtual digital asset 

Further, in order to capture the transaction details, FM also proposed to provide for TDS on payment made in relation to transfer of virtual digital asset at the rate of 1 per cent of such consideration above a monetary threshold. Gift of virtual digital asset is also proposed to be taxed in the hands of the recipient.

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