Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Possibly, all of the budget summaries floating around the print and digital media, talked about how adverse it (budget recommendations) is to the working class, the employees of an organization, citizens like me and probably you. While I partially agree with some of the statements made, one of the (highly) argumentative benefit that I see is from the initial call-out to tax the lump sum withdrawal of one’s Provident Fund over and above 40% of the corpus. 
 
Pensions is a topic close to my heart. Part of my work while with Invest India Micro Pensions was trying to get the underprivileged into a habit of contributing towards their retirement. The organization’s top ranks, individuals who contributed towards architecture of the New Pension Scheme imparted a lot of knowledge too. Owing to these learnings, this school of thought believes that there needs to be a fundamental shift in behavioural patterns, among Indians, towards retirement savings. 
 Let’s first try and understand what the new recommendation is – Mr. Jaitley, the Finance Minister, very clearly mentioned that he is taking measures towards moving to a pensioned society. He deliberated that the Provident Fund withdrawals as a lump sum above 40% of the corpus (includes both employees and employers contribution and a fixed compounded interest set by the <keyword id="6372438" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="EPFO">EPFO</keyword> --Employer Provident Fund Organization) will be taxed. 
 
Let’s try and get to bed with this idea, why would the finance ministry of a soon-to-be-aging country want to tax the savings of a hard working employee over-and-above all the income tax he/she has already paid? Now read the above recommendation again. The Ministry’s real intention is to only tax the lump sum withdrawals, and NOT the entire savings. It is quite simply the stick approach being used to cultivate a behavior, an attitude towards financial independence in the non-income years and a point of view to use the saving for the purpose it was saved. 
 
Pensions as a subject in India is more often than not, disregarded. We tend to cozy up with the idea of cosmic karma, where a working class hero (read parents) spent on their kids till they start earning, kids in turn indebted to spend on the parents when they stops earning. While all the emotion in this is absolutely spot on, the practicality isn’t. India as a nation has to move towards saving for their retired years, the government would rather take the blame of forcing good behavior over having thousands of aged financial-dependents with no one to depend on. 
 
While an incentive to annuitize, than a fine to withdraw lump sum, would have been a populist recommendation, we should not fret the tax to improve our behavior, it should be welcomed as a strategy for a better tomorrow, for the government and for us. 
 
(The article is authored by Aashim Joy, who is an Employee Benefits Actuarial consulting with a private company) 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Jaitley is right about taxing the lump sum withdrawal
from your PF

Relief for those who wanted to draw out their premature <keyword id="45028" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Provident-Fund">provident fund</keyword> (PF) withdrawals of Rs 30,000 or more as the <keyword id="47209" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Finance-Ministry">finance ministry</keyword> is reconsidering its Budget provision to tax such withdrawals, even as the 2015 Finance Act has been notified and deduction of tax at source from PF accounts settled before five years of service, comes into force from June 1. 
 

	The finance ministry might issue a directive to put the implementation of this clause in the Finance Act on hold or raise the Rs 30,000 trigger for tax deductions from PF accounts, a senior official said. "The government is mulling two options to hold back the implementation of this tax, after the PF office pointed out that it would be unfair to tax retirement <keyword id="25450" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="savings">savings</keyword> of people whose income is less than the personal <keyword id="6354751" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Income-Tax">income tax</keyword> threshold of Rs 2.5 lakh," the senior official told the Economic Times. 
	 

	Meanwhile, the PF department has ordered all offices to be ready to deduct tax from all premature PF claims settled from June 1 as the decision is expected by the end of this month. 
	 

	"Tax will be deducted at 10% if members submit their PAN card details and at the maximum marginal tax rate of 34.608% if a member fails to submit PAN. Only in cases where a member submits Form 15G or 15H, no tax will be deducted," the official said. 
	 

	Form 15G is a self-declaration document for individuals having non-taxable income, while Form 15H is a similar declaration by senior citizens (over the age of 60 years). However, these forms won't be accepted as a valid defense for avoiding tax deductions in case of PF accounts with balances of Rs 2.5 lakh (for those with no taxable income) and Rs 3 lakh for retirees. According to the Employees' <keyword id="122254" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Provident-Fund-Organisation">Provident Fund Organisation</keyword> (<keyword id="6372438" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="EPFO">EPFO</keyword>), no tax will be deducted if the PF savings are transferred to another PF account. 
	 

	Moreover, no tax would be deducted on their PF withdrawals in special cases. If an employee had to leave service due to bad health or other factors beyond their control such as a slowdown or shutting down of the employer's business, no tax will be deducted. 
	 

	Personal income tax is payable for those earning Rs 2.5 lakh or more annually. An EPF account is mandatory for all employees earning up to Rs 15,000 per month in companies having over 20 workers. As per the law, 24% of an employee's salary is diverted to her or his PF account. 
	 
	(Image: Indiatimes)

Relax! The govt won't tax you just yet for withdrawing your PF before 5 yrs

<ul><li>The government has introduced new 'optional' tax slabs for individual taxpayers.</li><li>Instead of five different tax slabs, the new tax regime has seven tax slabs.</li><li>It also the lowers the tax for income between ₹12.5 lakh to ₹15 lakh from 30% to 25%.</li></ul>New tax slabs have been proposed by the Direct Tax Code panel to boost consumption and investment. The government hopes that increased purchasing power will push demand ahead of supply, incentivising firms to ramp up production which will reflect in GDP growth in the next financial year. The new tax slabs increase the minimum taxable limit from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh. At the other end of the segment, anyone earning up to 15 lakh annually will be subject to 25% tax rate instead of 30%. However, the new tax slabs are only applicable to people who do not opt for exemptions under the tax regime -- including deductions under 80C of PF, LIP, standard deduction, LTC, house rent allowance, minor income exemption, interest deduction on home loans among others. Essentially, individual tax payers now have the choice to choose between the two tax regimes depending on their requirements. "The complex tax regime for taxpayers with the slabs rejig. With the optional new regime, taxpayers will have to evaluate what works better. Those committed to long term saving and investing via 80C may be discouraged and this may likely demotivate taxpayers from tax-saving linked investing," said Archit Gupta from Clear Tax. There will be no tax levied on annual income upto ₹5 lakh. However, if you cross that threshold tax will charged for income above ₹2.5 lakh. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Income </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Previous Tax Rate </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">New Tax Rate </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Up to ₹2.5 lakh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nil </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nil </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹2.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹5 lakh to ₹7.5 lakh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">20% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">10% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹7.5 lakh to ₹10 lakh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">20% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹10 lakh to ₹12.5 lakh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">30% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">20% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹12.5 lakh to ₹15 lakh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">30% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">25% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Above ₹15 lakh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">30% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">30% </td></tr></tbody></table> The government’s move to stimulate the economy As companies look to increase output, job creation will go up or at least arrest job losses taking the pressure off of the country’s unemployment crisis. More jobs, would again, increase purchasing power resulting in a growth cycle. It could also increase the government’s burden On the flip side, experts expect lower tax rates to weigh on the exchequer. Tax revenue collection has often been criticized for being inefficient. However, the ultimate outcome depends on how the cycle of investment and economic growth plays out. Tax revenue could increase if the new tax cuts result in greater compliance over the next two to three years. This is also an attempt by the government to simplify the tax laws, which are known to be one of the most complicated in the world. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2020-allocates-6000-crore-for-bharatnet-to-connect-1-lakh-gram-panchayats/articleshow/73832949.cms">Budget 2020 allocates ₹6,000 crore for BharatNet to connect 1 lakh Gram Panchayats</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2020-aayushman-bharat-allocation-to-eradicate-tuberculosis-by-2025-announced-by-nirmala-sitharaman/articleshow/73832769.cms">Budget 2020 aims to eradicate tuberculosis by 2025 using AI and ML to empower Aayushman Bharat</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2020-nirmala-sitharaman-wants-nabard-to-geo-tag-cold-storage-facilities-to-make-them-more-efficient/articleshow/73832369.cms">Nirmala Sitharaman wants NABARD to geo-tag cold storage facilities to make them more efficient</a>

New income tax slabs 2020, income up to ₹5 lakh exempt

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=arun+jaitley">Finance Minister Arun Jaitley</a>, in his <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=budget+2016">Budget 2016</a> speech, gave a huge relief to freelancers and consultants. They will now fall under the ambit of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=presumptive+tax">presumptive tax</a>, where they will declare profit and pay taxes at a rate of 50% of gross receipts. 
 
The tax will be filed by filling ITR 4S over the lengthy and tedious ITR 4 form. But, TDS of 10% will still be applicable on freelancers under Section 194J of I-T Act. 
 
Till now, professionals, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=consultants">consultants</a> had to maintain books of work-related expenses for eight years even after filing the returns. 
 The <keyword id="3286477" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="presumptive-tax">presumptive tax</keyword> scheme is a great thing for people who do not have much business expenses, for example private tutor, etc. 
 
The popular online tax filing platforms have basic plans for freelancers starting at as low as Rs 3,500 and going up to Rs 10,000 to Rs 12,000 where you need not do anything.

Good news for freelancers, consultants; they are now under presumptive tax

<keyword id="7723175" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="what-is-provident-fund" source="Orion">What is Provident fund</keyword>? PF or Provident Fund or as it is commonly known as, Employee Provident fund(EPF) is a government backed savings scheme which allows a salaried employee to invest a certain amount every month on which a fixed amount of interest is paid by the government. It is a retirement savings scheme and is amninistered by a statutory body, EPFO, Employee Provident Fund Organisation under the Ministry of Labor and Employment. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="You can check your PF balance in four different ways." comment="subhead" text="You can check your PF balance in four different ways.">You can check your PF balance in four different ways.</cmsannotation> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Check PF balance through EPFO Portal" comment="subhead" text="1. Check PF balance through EPFO Portal">1. Check PF balance through EPFO Portal</cmsannotation> To check your PF balance, the employer must have activated your Universal Account Number (UAN). This number is allotted by the EPF organization. Irrespective of the companies you change, this number will remain the same throughout your life. Step 1: Log on to the EPFO portal. Go to ‘Our Services’ and choose ‘for Employees’. Choose the option ‘Member Passbook’ under ‘Services’. Step 3: In the Login page, enter your UAN Number and Password after activating them. Now you can access your EPF account. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Check PF balance via SMS" comment="subhead" text="2. Check PF balance via SMS">2. Check PF balance via SMS</cmsannotation> If you have linked your UAN number with your KYC details like Aadhaar number or PAN number, you can access your PF balance via SMS. If this is done, you can send SMS message “EPFOHO UAN ENG” to the number 7738299899. This will send the details in English. Alternative SMS codes are available if you wish to know your PF balance in other languages like Hindi, Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, and Bengali. 3. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Check PF balance via Missed call" comment="subhead" text="Check PF balance via Missed call">Check PF balance via Missed call</cmsannotation> If you have linked your Aadhaar card or PAN number with your PF account, you can use this method to know your PF balance. Give a missed call to 011-22901406 from your registered mobile number and you will instantly get a message stating your PF balance. 4. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Check PF balance using EPFO app" comment="subhead" text="Check PF balance using EPFO app">Check PF balance using EPFO app</cmsannotation> Download the “m-sewa app of EPFO” from Google Play Store. Open the app and click on ‘Member’ and go to ‘Balance/Passbook’. The page will ask for your UAN number and registered mobile number. If the details you give match with their records, your PF balance will be displayed. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="88278188" title="Here’s how you can create Universal Account Number (UAN) on the EPFO portal" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

How to check Pf (Provident Fund) balance in India

New Delhi, Feb 3 () The new lower income tax rates offered in the Budget 2020-21 will leave more cash in the hands of those who do not wish to make compulsory investments to save tax, said Revenue Secretary Ajay Bhushan Pandey.
 In an interview with , he said the Budget gives an option to individuals to migrate to a new regime by foregoing their existing exemptions and deductions for a lower tax rate.
 "We are not saying which one is beneficial, which one is not beneficial. We have provided an option. We have not put restrictions on anyone. This proposal can only benefit somebody and not harm anybody," he said. "So, in this whole proposal, not a single person will be loser."
 He said taxpayers have an option to stay with the current regime of getting a standard deduction of Rs 50,000 and investing Rs 1.5 lakh in saving schemes and pay 5 per cent, 10 per cent or 30 per cent tax depending on income levels.
 Alternatively, they can migrate to the new regime and pay lower tax rates without having to invest in any instrument to claim exemption, he said.
 In the new regime, 5 per cent tax is levied on an annual income between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 5 per cent. The tax rate rises to 10 per cent, 15, per cent, 20 per cent and 25 per cent for every Rs 2.5 lakh addition. A 30 per cent tax is charged for income over Rs 15 lakh.
 "Because the proposal is that we will continue the old scheme and if you find the new scheme attractive, you come or else you don't come. Therefore, there is no scope of confusion or worry," he said.
 Pandey said the taxpayer will have to choose between old and the new regime at the time of filing return for the next financial year, sometime in July 2021.
 "When you file I-T return, there will be a choice. If you say choice 1 then the return form in the new system will open and most of your application will be pre-filled. Then, you make appropriate changes and file I-T (return). If you choose the old system, then only that form will open. It is easier to pre-fill the form under new tax structures," he said.
 He said data show that out of the 5.8 crore individuals who filed income tax returns in the financial year 2018-19, 90 per cent claimed tax deductions of less than Rs 2 lakh, including deductions under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act (for provident fund, PPF, life insurance premium), Section 80D (mediclaim insurance), Section 80CCD(1B) (additional deduction for National Pension Scheme), deduction for housing loan interest and standard deduction.
 "I am not saying it (new scheme) will benefit everyone. It might benefit 30-40 per cent people. But, even if it is benefiting 30 per cent people then also it is a big thing," he said. "We are giving option to those people who are unable to avail exemptions or deductions. Who are these people -- somebody who has just joined job market, someone who has not decided to buy a house, he does not know how much will be savings, he might be putting little money in PF (provident fund) and insurance. He may find that depending on his income, this new scheme is better."
 Similarly, for senior citizens living on a pension and who do not have to buy a house or put money in PF, the new regime would be beneficial, he said.
 The new tax regime is also beneficial for small businessmen and shopkeepers who do not get the benefit of LTC or HRA. 
 "It is not that our objective was to provide benefit to each and every section of the taxpayer. We have provided option and that should be fine," he said adding the new tax rates would lead to a Rs 40,000 crore dent in government revenues in the next financial year.
 Individuals having an annual salary income of over Rs 13 lakh and availing deductions of up to Rs 2 lakh will save on their tax outgo if they opt for the new tax regime proposed in the Budget, government sources said on Sunday.
 For those earning a salary of Rs 12 lakh and less and availing deductions of up to Rs 2 lakh, the old tax system will be beneficial as the tax outgo will be less compared to the proposed new structure.
 While individuals with an annual salary income of Rs 13 lakh and above will pay Rs 1.43 lakh tax under the proposed tax structure; in the old regime, they would have paid a tax of Rs 1.48 lakh, thereby saving Rs 5,200, a source said.
 On a salary of Rs 14 lakh a year, savings would be Rs 10,400; and for those with an income of Rs 15 lakh and above, savings would be Rs 15,600, provided the deductions claimed are up to Rs 2 lakh.
 In the case of non-salary earners, who do not get a standard deduction of Rs 50,000, the new tax structure is beneficial for those earning Rs 9.5 lakh annually and availing deductions up to Rs 1.5 lakh. They would save Rs 5,200 in their annual income tax outgoing. JD ANZ HRS

New tax structure gives option to save tax: Revenue Secy

New Delhi, India's low-cost carrier <keyword id="6358032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SpiceJet" source="Orion">SpiceJet</keyword> has reportedly not deposited money into the pension funds of its employees for at least 6 to 8 months, a source said. However, a SpiceJet spokesperson told IANS said that the process has already been initiated by the company. "There was a certain deferral in PF but we will be depositing a substantial amount soon and salary disbursement is on time. We are also doing all settlements on time. Everything will be cleared soon. We are hopeful," said the spokesperson. "We are submitting PF together in three to four months and soon it will be cleared," he added. This week on Monday, SpiceJet announced a notable turnaround in its financials for the first quarter, driven by reduced costs which outweighed a decline in revenue. The airline revealed a consolidated net profit of Rs 197.64 crore for the quarter ending June 30. This marked a significant shift from the net loss of Rs 783.72 crore recorded during the corresponding period in the previous year. The impressive upswing in profitability was primarily attributed to a substantial 36 per cent reduction in total expenses for the mentioned quarter, amounting to Rs 2,069.24 crore. However, on Thursday, the Delhi High Court asked low-cost airline SpiceJet and its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) to pay Rs 100 crore to Kal Airways and its promoter Kalanithi Maran by September 10, failing which the court may consider the attachement of their properties. Appearing for Maran and Kal Airways, senior advocate Maninder Singh submitted that the judgement debtor -- SpiceJet and CMD -- had to file the affidavit of assets and weekly collection within one week which they have failed to file on time and the same has not been filed in a format mandated by this court. On August 9, the court had issued notice on Kal Airways and Maran's application seeking 50 per cent of the daily revenue collection of SpiceJet to be paid to them on a weekly basis. During the hearing on Thursday, Singh further submitted that the order dated February 13 and July 7, passed by the Supreme Court is pre-emptive, conditional and self-operative which has not been complied with till date. Additionally, he submitted that the affidavit filed by the CMD has been filed under sealed cover which has not been served to the decree holders -- Kal Airways and Maran. On the other hand, senior advocate Amit Sibal submitted that the amount calculated by them stood upto Rs 279 crore and not Rs 397 crore, as argued by advocate Singh. He further made an offer to deposit Rs 75 crore within 10 days to which advocate Singh objected and said that they had to pay this amount in April but has not paid till date.

'SpiceJet didn't deposit money into pension funds for months'

Around 8.2 lakh members of retirement fund body <keyword id="6372438" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="epfo">EPFO</keyword> and private PF trusts have dipped into their savings and withdrew ₹3,243.17 crore to sustain in the lockdown imposed by the government to contain COVID-19. Earlier last month on March 28, the <keyword id="6423266" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="employees-provident-fund-organisation">Employees Provident Fund Organisation</keyword> (EPFO) had allowed formal sector workers under its ambit to withdraw a non-refundable advance from their <keyword id="415826" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="retirement-savings">retirement savings</keyword> to deal with hardships due to lockdown. "EPFO under <keyword id="602690" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-ministry-of-labour">Union Ministry of Labour</keyword> &amp; Employment, has settled a total of 12.91 lakhs claims, including 7.40 lakhs COVID-19 claims under Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana (PMGKY) package," a Labour Ministry statement said. Claims settlement involves disbursal of total amount of ₹4,684.52 crore which includes ₹2,367.65 crore COVID claims under the PMGKY package. The exempted private PF trusts have also risen to the occasion amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the ministry said. As on April 27, 2020, ₹875.52 crore have been disbursed to 79,743 PF members as advance for COVID-19 by the exempted PF Trusts under this scheme, with 222 private sector establishments disbursing ₹338.23 crore to 54,641 beneficiaries, 76 public sector establishments disbursing ₹524.75 crores to 24,178 beneficiaries and 23 cooperative sector establishments disbursing ₹12.54 crores to 924 claimants, it said. Private PF trusts manage their employees' PF money and account themselves. They are exempted to file monthly PF return and thus also called exempted establishments. Tata Consultancy Services Mumbai, HCL Technologies Ltd. Gurugram and HDFC Bank Powai, Mumbai are the top three exempted establishments in the private sector, both in terms of number of claims settled and amount disbursed, it said. In public sector, ONGC Dehradun, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Neyveli and BHEL Trichy are the top three exempted establishments to have settled maximum number of COVID-19 advance claims; whereas, Neyveli Lignite Corporation Neyveli, ONGC Dehradun and Vishakhapatnam Steel Plant Vishakhapatnam are top three establishments in terms of amount disbursed to EPF members, it said. The provision for a special withdrawal from the EPF Scheme to fight COVID-19 pandemic is part of the PMGKY scheme announced by the government and an urgent notification on the matter was made to introduce a para 68 L (3) of the EPF Scheme on 28th March, 2020. Under this provision non-refundable withdrawal to the extent of the basic wages and dearness allowances for three months or up to 75 per cent of the amount standing to member's credit in the EPF account, whichever is less, is provided. Despite only one-third staff being able to work due to lockdown, EPFO is committed to serve its members during this difficult situation and EPFO offices are functional to help them during these testing times, it said. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/a-checklist-of-steps-offices-should-take-as-they-reopen-after-lockdown-to-avoid-another-wave-of-covid-19-infections/articleshow/75421144.cms">A checklist of steps offices should take, as they reopen after lockdown, to avoid another wave of COVID-19 infections</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/covid-19-combat-retired-maha-teacher-gives-pension-to-cm-fund/articleshow/75123266.cms">COVID-19 combat: Retired Maha teacher gives pension to CM fund</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/reliance-industries-shareholders-may-get-dividend-payout-as-it-to-considers-rights-issue-at-april-30-board-meeting/articleshow/75422405.cms">Reliance Industries shareholders may get dividend payout as it to considers rights issue at April 30 board meeting</a>

Workers have withdrawn over ₹3,200 crore from their retirement savings to survive the Coronavirus lockdown

After the salaried class expressed their discontent over tax on PPF scheme, the government has finally withdrawn the proposal. 
 
The government said the PPF will not be taxed on withdrawal and only the interest that accrues on contributions to employee provident fund made after April 1 will be taxed while principal will continue to be tax exempt. 
 
Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said, “The principal amount will not be taxed and will continue to remain tax exempt on withdrawal. What we have said is 40 per cent of the interest accrued on contributions made after April 1 will be tax exempt and its remaining 60 per cent will be taxed." 
 
Adhia said that no part of PPF will be taxed and the present scheme of investment up to Rs 1.5 lakh in a year will continue to be tax exempt. PPF on withdrawal will continue to be out of the tax ambit. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Confusion no more! PPF stays on tax exemption list

In a big relief to the salaried section of the society, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=labour+ministry&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">labour ministry</a> said employees can withdraw the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=provident+fund&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Provident Fund</a> (PF) amount but under certain circumstances. 
 
Labour Minister Bandaru Dattatreya had received many letters from the trade unions regarding non-withdrawal of PF. 
 
READ MORE: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Hurry-up-15-more-days-and-you-wont-be-able-to-withdraw-your-full-EPF-until-you-turn-58/articleshow/51838671.cms">Hurry up! 15 more days and you won't be able to withdraw your full EPF until you turn 58</a> 
 Following the representations, the ministry said <keyword id="473382" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="PF-withdrawal">PF withdrawal</keyword> is now allowed for housing, major medical treatment for self and family members, marriage and education of children. 
 
The new regulations will come into effect from August. 
 
In February, the ministry had said people would not be able to withdraw PF money before 58 years of age. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

You can now withdraw PF amount, but terms and conditions apply

New Delhi, Mar 21 () In the wake of Covid-19 outbreak, private security industry body CAPSI has sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi's intervention over the massive job losses of security guards and asked the government to employ private guards to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Terming the situation as "disastrous", the Central Association of Private Security Industry (CAPSI), in its letter to the Prime Minister, has urged him to save the livelihood of lakhs of private security guards who are staring at job losses. The closure of malls, showrooms, theatres, hotels etc. have led to a situation wherein the clients are asking to remove large number of security guards from their locations leaving only one guard at these sites. "They (clients) have also made it clear that they will only pay for the drastically reduced strength. Now what happens to the others? Where do the other guards go? Who pays them their salaries for this period," CAPSI Chairman K Vikram Singh said in the letter to the Prime Minister. Over 23,000 private security agencies employ over 85 lakh security guards across India. Singh said this situation will have deep impact on the life of security guards and their families as corporates have issued letters of drastic reduction of staff strength from their establishments and have also refused to pay wages for the period of layoff. Private security industry will now have to pay its workforce without getting paid for by the clients for the duration till normalcy returns. "We have urged the Prime Minister to direct Employees' State Insurance (ESI), Provident Fund (PF) and Goods and Services Tax (GST) Departments to defer their tax collection dates by giving adequate time so that guards can be paid wages to take care of their families," he added. The private security industry is one of the largest employment-providing sectors of the nation and is one of the largest contributor of corporate taxes and social security taxes (GST, PF, ESI, Income Tax etc). These security guards can play an important role in controlling the spread of coronavirus by checking the body temperature of visitors and residents in various locations. The government can requisite the services of private security guards and pay for the services rendered which will also help them financially in these times of crisis, the body suggested. KKS DRRDRR

CAPSI seeks PM's intervention over job losses of security guards

New Delhi, Mar 28 () Industry body Nasscom has urged the government to suspend all deadlines, including for tax payment and return filing, until four weeks post lifting of the lockdown to provide relief to startups and SMEs.To contain the spread of COVID-19, the government has announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown starting March 26."The COVID-19 pandemic has caused high stress on startups, putting their continuity at risk. They are looking to government to provide support and relief..." Nasscom said in a statement.The industry body said startups are facing severe time loss and project delays due to the prevailing circumstances that has contributed to financial pressure on them."We request that the government consider rental subsidy for workspaces used by startups which are regulated/owned/managed by government agencies," it added.The body also requested for a "blanket suspension of all deadlines including tax payment deadlines and filing deadlines until at least four weeks post lifting of all city lockdown".These include relaxation of deadline to file Foreign Inward Remittance Certificate (FIRC), option to avail overdraft facility/interest free and equity convertible funding, waiver of fines/penalties for offences violations related to procedural matters, extension of due date for payment of advance tax, and waiver of restrictions for claiming an expense as a deduction under Section 40 of the IT Act.Nasscom suggested that payment of provident fund and gratuity deposits should be deferred for the duration of the lockdown, and provide an option to employees for a one-time PF opt-out option for the next financial year 2020-21 given that startups are unlikely to be able to provide any salary increments due to subdued business environment."In such a case, both the employee and employer contributions towards the PF may be transferred directly to the employee. This will result in an increase in the take home pay of the employees. This move will be beneficial for the employees in the lower salary bracket and would lead to a higher take home pay for a majority of the start-up workforce," it said.Nasscom also sought deferral of interest payment deadlines and relaxation of loan interest payments. Besides, it suggested that governments and PSUs be encouraged to procure Make-in-India software products, and incentives/sops for consumption of indigenous products.For MSMEs, Nasscom said interest and penalties should be waived for delayed payments of TDS and GST due for the month of March, April and May 2020 if such payment is made by June 30, 2020."The working capital of MSME businesses is already stressed and the pandemic has further aggravated the situation. As an immediate relief, all government departments (Centre/State)/PSUs/large corporations must be directed to release all pending payments/invoice receivables raised by the MSMEs within 15 working days," it added.The body recommended that separate credit lines be given to MSMEs for handling global recessions."To minimise the impact of the pandemic and ensure minimum disruption in supply chain, government must ensure adequate credit flow to the MSMEs (small and medium enterprises)," it noted.Therefore, it must be ensured that the existing Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) is accelerated with the Turn Around Time (TAT) of issuance of funds by SIDBI reduced to 7 working days, it added. SR BALBAL

COVID-19: Nasscom urges govt to defer tax payment, return filing for startups, MSMEs

<keyword id="6358032" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="spicejet" source="Orion">SpiceJet</keyword> announced a 20 per cent salary hike for pilots from October onwards. This follows last month's 6 per cent hike in salaries. Sources said that while the first tranche of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) payment has been received by the airline, the second is expected shortly. Moreover, the company will be depositing <keyword id="17506" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tds" source="Orion">TDS</keyword> of all employees in the next two-three weeks. And, a significant portion of the PF will also be credited. According to an internal mail to all the pilots, senior VP, <keyword id="9138754" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="gurcharan-arora" source="Orion">Gurcharan Arora</keyword> said that the Spicejet has received the approval for a loan under the government's ECLGS scheme. "The first tranche of the payment has already been received and the second trancher is expected very soon. Our management is working to raise an additional 200 million dollars." The mail also talked about resumption of normalcy in the aviation sector and said that the airline is flying towards growth and sustainability. On Tuesday, in a temporary measure to rationalise cost, SpiceJet decided to place some pilots on leave without pay for a period of three months. The airline said that it will be inducting <keyword id="26842" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="max" source="Orion">MAX</keyword> aircraft shortly and these pilots will be back in service as the induction begins. During the <keyword id="9580222" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="lwp" source="Orion">LWP</keyword> period, pilots will remain eligible for all other employee benefits as applicable i.e. all opted insurance benefits and employee leave travel. SpiceJet airline had earlier reported a net loss of Rs 789 crore (Rs 420 crore, excluding forex adjustment) for the quarter ending June 30, 2022 as compared to a net loss of Rs 729 crore in the quarter ending 30 June, 2021 as the business was severely impacted by record high fuel prices and a depreciating <keyword id="6355302" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="rupee" source="Orion">Rupee</keyword>. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/adani-transmission-to-become-net-zero-by-2050/articleshow/94371480.cms">Adani Transmission to become net-zero by 2050</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/the-pune-girl-who-self-made-it-to-the-india-rich-list/articleshow/94368050.cms">The Pune girl who self-made it to the India rich list</a>

You Searched For "PF under tax net" and got 13 results

Jaitley is right about taxing the lump sum withdrawal from your PF

Guest Author

Relax! The govt won't tax you just yet for withdrawing your PF before 5 yrs

BI India Bureau

New income tax slabs 2020, income up to ₹5 lakh exempt

Prabhjote Gill

Good news for freelancers, consultants; they are now under presumptive tax

BI India Bureau

How to check Pf (Provident Fund) balance in India

BI India Bureau

New tax structure gives option to save tax: Revenue Secy

PTI

'SpiceJet didn't deposit money into pension funds for months'

IANS

Workers have withdrawn over ₹3,200 crore from their retirement savings to survive the Coronavirus lockdown

PTI

Confusion no more! PPF stays on tax exemption list

BI India Bureau

You can now withdraw PF amount, but terms and conditions apply

BI India Bureau

CAPSI seeks PM's intervention over job losses of security guards

PTI

COVID-19: Nasscom urges govt to defer tax payment, return filing for startups, MSMEs

PTI

SpiceJet announces 20% salary hike for pilots, says will bring back those put on leave without pay

IANS

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides