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Today is the last day to file your <keyword id="19948101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax-returns" source="keywords">income tax returns</keyword> for <keyword id="21169488" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AY-2024-25" source="keywords">AY 2024-25</keyword>, without having to pay a <keyword id="19899183" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="penalty" source="keywords">penalty</keyword>. Starting tomorrow, you will be able to file your <keyword id="19897621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="itr" source="keywords">ITR</keyword>, but you'd have to forego several benefits, like not being able to choose the old tax regime, or paying a penalty of Rs 1,000 (if your annual taxable income is less than Rs 5,00,000). As per official data, about 6 crore ITRs have already been filed so far, and around 70% of them have opted for the new tax regime. But if you have left your ITR filing to the <keyword id="22611090" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="last-minute" source="keywords">last minute</keyword>, and will rush to meet the deadline today, here's a handy list of mistakes you should avoid while filing your ITR: 1. Do not miss out on reporting on your income from other sources. Generally, we only account for our salary, income from business/profession and capital gains (if any) while calculating our tax liability. However, there is one crucial segment we tend to forget-income from other sources. This includes interest income from your savings account, fixed deposits, recurring deposits and bonds. 2. Income from other sources also includes any dividend income you've received throughout the year through stocks, mutual funds, and any monetary gifts with value of over Rs 50,000 you've received from friends, acquaintances, or anyone but your relatives. Don't forget to account for those as well. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111406215" title="Wondering which ITR form is right for you? Know all about it here" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> 3. In case your total annual income exceeds Rs 50,00,000, you have to disclose all details of your properties, both movable and immovable under <keyword id="22611091" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="schedule-al" source="keywords">Schedule AL</keyword>. This should also include any liabilities you have incurred on these assets. 4. If you are an NRI, or an Indian holding foreign assets, you will have to share details of all your foreign income, assets, accounts and stocks under <keyword id="22334040" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="schedule-fa" source="keywords">Schedule FA</keyword>, along with your ITR. This needs to be done, irrespective of whether your income is taxable in India or not. 5. If you are filing your ITR as per your AIS (<keyword id="20776896" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="annual-information-statement" source="keywords">Annual Information Statement</keyword>) and see erroneous entries, don't ignore them. File your ITR as per Form 26AS, which is a condensed version of AIS, and Form 16A and B, which is provided by your employer (both previous and current). But remember to go back and flag errors in AIS, otherwise the IT department could penalise you for willful misreporting of your income. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111402608" title="ITR filing: Documents you need to file your income tax return" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> 6. Do not forget to e-verify your ITR within 30 days of filing it. If you do not do this, your ITR filing will be considered invalid. If 30 days have passed since you filed your ITR post today, it will be seen as filing ITR post deadline, and you'll have to pay a fine. So, get going on your ITR filing, right away!

Filing your ITR at the last minute? Don't make these mistakes

Today is <keyword id="22458495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="July-31st" source="keywords">July 31st</keyword>, 2024, the last day to file your income tax returns, without having to pay any penalties. And before you ask, the <keyword id="19903456" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax-department" source="keywords">Income Tax Department</keyword> has not come out with any notification informing the taxpayers of a deadline extension. That is why you should not delay filing your <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/article/heres-your-ready-reckoner-for-itr-filing/articleshow/111402608.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">income tax returns</a> anymore! The <keyword id="20171597" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IT-department" source="keywords">IT department</keyword> noted that as of July 26th, 2024, over 5 crore ITRs had already been filed, marking an 8.5% increase from the number of ITRs filed during this period, last year. The IT department, in an X post, highlighted that last year, it had reached the 5-crore <keyword id="22083160" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ITR-filing-deadline" source="keywords">ITR filing deadline</keyword> on July 27th. However, this year, it had breached the milestone a day earlier, i.e., on July 26th, 2024. Earlier, the All Gujarat Federation of Tax Consultants and Income Tax Bar Association had requested a deadline extension for AY 2024–25 from July 31st, 2024, to August 31st, 2024, citing issues and glitches in the tax filing portal. However, there has been no response from the finance ministry on the same. <h2>What happens if I don't file my ITR until July 31st? </h2>For AY 2024–25, you can file a <keyword id="6380232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="belated-ITR" source="Orion">belated ITR</keyword> until December 31st, 2024. But remember, it comes with many disadvantages as well. Here's a snapshot of all the benefits you will have to forego: <h2>What are the penalties for late filing of ITR? </h2>1. You will have to pay a penalty of Rs. 1,000 if your total annual taxable income is below Rs 5,00,000. But if your taxable income exceeds this threshold, you will have to pay a penalty of Rs 5,000. 2. Even if you have to file a <keyword id="17933087" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NIL-ITR" source="Orion">nil ITR</keyword>, you must do so before July 31st. This is because if you do not end up filing it on time, you will have to pay a fine of Rs 1,000. 3. According to Section 234A of the <keyword id="19936187" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax-act" source="keywords">Income Tax Act</keyword>, you will also have to pay interest on your outstanding tax amount at the rate of 1% per month, starting from the due date, i.e., July 31st. <h2>No carry forward of losses, old tax regime</h2>1. You will not be able to carry forward any losses, including those from your mutual funds or stock investments, business income, and other sources. You will only be allowed to carry forward your losses from house properties. This could significantly raise your total tax liability and lead to you incurring hefty losses. 2. After July 31st, 2024, you will not be able to opt for the old tax regime for tax calculation purposes. Starting August 1, the new tax regime, which offers significantly fewer deductions and exemptions as compared to the old regime, will be considered default for you. Also read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/article/decoding-form-16-how-do-you-file-your-taxes-if-you-dont-get-form-16/articleshow/111529754.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Decoding Form 16: How do you file your taxes if you don't get Form 16?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/tax/article/wondering-which-itr-form-is-right-for-you-know-all-about-it-here/articleshow/111406215.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Wondering which ITR form is right for you? Know all about it here</a>

ITR Filing: Today is the last day to file your income tax returns, so file today to avoid penalties

The <keyword id="19938467" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="deadline" source="keywords">deadline</keyword> for filing your <keyword id="19995225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax-return" source="keywords">income tax return</keyword> for AY 2024-25 i.e. July 31st is knocking right at your door. If you are yet to file your <keyword id="19897621" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="itr" source="keywords">ITR</keyword>, you still have some time. But there are certain things that you must remember and double-check before you click on submit ITR-from picking out the right form to ensuring that all the details you’ve furnished are correct. Read on to know the top five things that you must remember before <keyword id="19942833" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ITR-filing" source="keywords">ITR filing</keyword>. <h2>Linking your PAN with Aadhar is mandatory</h2>Before you file your ITR, ensure that your <keyword id="19985317" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pan-card" source="keywords">PAN card</keyword> is linked to your <keyword id="19952125" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aadhar-card" source="keywords">Aadhar card</keyword>. You can’t file your ITR without linking your Pan to Aadhar first. This can be done online. In case you’re wondering whether or not your PAN is linked to your Aadhar card, you can visit <a href="https://eportal.incometax.gov.in/iec/foservices/#/pre-login/verifyYourPAN">this</a> link and verify. However, remember that this process can take up to 6-10 days to complete, so you'll have to jump aboard the belated ITR bandwagon in case you've just initiated the linking process. <h2>Pick the correct form</h2>Choosing the correct form is one of the most important things that you need to keep in mind while filing your ITR. For instance, the ITR-1 form is designed for resident individuals who have income from salary, one house property, and other sources such as interest or dividends, provided their total income does not exceed Rs 50 lakh. On the other hand, ITR-2 is applicable to individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs) with income from capital gains or foreign assets.<div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111406215" title="Wondering which ITR form is right for you? Know all about it here" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> ITR-3 is applicable for those who have income from business or professions, or those who are self-employed. ITR-4 is filled by those who opt for presumptive taxation. <h2>Remember to <keyword id="22469557" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-verify" source="keywords">E-verify</keyword> your return: </h2>Think you're done with your ITR filing? Think again! You will also need to e-verify your return. If the e-verification is not done within 30 days from filing your ITR, it will be rendered invalid, and will be considered as not filed. You will also not receive any refunds in the absence of e-verification of your ITR. You can easily e-verify your ITR via generating an OTP on your mobile number linked with Aadhar, or by generating an electronic verification code (EVC) through your pre-verified bank account or demat account. <h2>Check your documents and details</h2> When you are trying to get things done quickly, it isn’t uncommon to forget double-checking the details entered. Do remember to double-check all the details that you enter in your ITR. Also, filing an ITR requires certain documents like bank statements, investment proofs, <keyword id="19948097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tds" source="keywords">TDS</keyword> certificates, Form 16 etc. Even though you don’t have to attach these documents in the ITR, you must keep them handy. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111402608" title="ITR filing: Documents you need to file your income tax return" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Check income and investment details</h2> If you have just one source of income, the process is easy as you just need to mention that in your ITR. However, if you have <keyword id="22106780" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="multiple-sources-of-income" source="keywords">multiple sources of income</keyword>, you need to be careful and mention all of them. Similarly, ensure that you have entered all investment details in the form correctly. Do not forget to mention your interest earned on savings and fixed deposits, dividend income (if any) or income from other sources, since that could lead to hefty penalties.

Five things to remember as you file your ITRs at the last minute

The taxpayers and tax professionals made their compliances in time, leading to a surge in the filing of Income-tax Returns (<keyword id="20458564" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITRs" source="keywords">ITRs</keyword>), which resulted in a new record of ITRs filed till <keyword id="22468495" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="July-31" source="keywords">July 31</keyword>, 2024. July 31 was the last due date for filing the <keyword id="19948101" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="income-tax-returns" source="keywords">income tax returns</keyword>, without having to pay any penalties. The total number of ITRs for assessment year 2024-25 filed till July 31, 2024 is more than 7.28 crore, which is 7.5% more than the total ITRs for assessment 2023-24 (6.77 crore) filed, a <keyword id="19908390" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Finance" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ministry of Finance" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ministry of Finance">Ministry of Finance</keyword> release stated on Friday. An increasing number of taxpayers have opted for the <keyword id="19935168" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Tax-Regime" source="keywords">new tax regime</keyword> this year, the <keyword id="19900485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="finance-ministry" source="keywords">finance ministry</keyword> said. Out of the total ITRs of 7.28 crore that have been filed, 5.27 crore have been filed in the new tax regime, as compared to 2.01 crore filed in the old tax regime. Thus, about 72% of taxpayers have opted for the new tax regime, while the rest 28% continue to be in the old tax regime. The filing of ITRs peaked on July 31, 2024 (due date for salaried taxpayers and other non-tax audit cases) with over 69.92 lakh ITRs being filed on a single day. The <keyword id="20404575" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-filing-portal" source="keywords">e-filing portal</keyword> also observed its highest per hour rate of 5.07 lakh of ITR filing between 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm on July 31. A total of 58.57 lakh ITRs from first time filers were reported, a fair indication of widening of tax base. "A lot of emphasis was provided to educate taxpayers about old and new tax regimes. FAQs and educational videos on the same were designed and uploaded on the e-filing portal," the ministry said. Focused outreach campaigns were carried out on social media to encourage the taxpayers to file their ITRs early. Along with this, unique creative campaigns were also carried out on different platforms. Informational videos in 12 vernacular languages, apart from English and Hindi, were displayed on digital platforms. The ministry said it is encouraging to note that over 6.21 crore ITRs have been e-verified, out of which more than 5.81 crore are through Aadhaar-based OTP (93.56% ). Of the e-verified ITRs, more than 2.69 crore ITRs for the 2024-2025 have been processed (43.34%) till July 31, 2024. Note that e-verification is the final step in filing your ITR. If you do not e-verify your ITR within 30 days of filing it, your ITR will stand invalid. The e-filing Helpdesk team has handled approximately 10.64 lakh queries from taxpayers during the year up to July 31, supporting the taxpayers proactively during the peak filing period. Taxpayers are also requested to verify their unverified ITRs if any, within 30 days of filing the ITR. Taxpayers are urged, who for any reason, missed filing their ITR within the due date, to complete their filing expeditiously.

51 lakh, or 7.5% more Indians filed income tax returns this year; 72% of taxpayers opted new regime, notes FinMin data

About 6 crore <keyword id="19948101" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="income-tax-returns" source="keywords">income tax returns</keyword> have been filed for income earned in 2023-24, of which 70 per cent were filed under the new <keyword id="22442211" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="simplified-tax-regime" source="keywords">simplified tax regime</keyword> which offers lower rate of tax, Revenue Secretary Sanjay Malhotra said on Tuesday. Addressing the post-budget session of PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Malhotra said there were apprehensions as to whether people would shift to the simplified tax regime. "About 6 crore filed for last year and 70 per cent is under the new income tax regime. The whole move has been towards simplicity with the ultimate purpose being to reduce the <keyword id="20380188" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="compliance-burden" source="keywords">compliance burden</keyword>," Malhotra said. For the 2022-23 fiscal, 8.61 crore ITRs were filed. The idea behind comprehensive income tax review as announced in the <keyword id="19936553" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget" source="keywords">Budget</keyword> is to make the tax law simpler. "We will come up with a draft and then we will seek suggestions," Malhotra said. Currently, India has two <keyword id="20155151" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="personal-income-tax" source="keywords">personal income tax</keyword> regimes. In the old income tax regime, the <keyword id="20452955" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-rates" source="keywords">tax rates</keyword> are relatively high but taxpayers can claim several exemptions and <keyword id="20385232" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="deductions" source="keywords">deductions</keyword>. However, in the <keyword id="19935168" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="new-tax-regime" source="keywords">new tax regime</keyword>, tax rates are lower but fewer deductions.

About 6 cr ITRs filed for FY24; 70% under new tax regime

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Interest in moving to Canada has spiked among Americans after the election.</li><li>Beyond the physical move, there are financial considerations that potential movers should know of.</li></ul>The result of the 2024 elections left about half of the US displeased. As Donald Trump prepared to return to the White House, many Americans began considering a move up north, according to <a target="_blank" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=today%201-m&amp;geo=US&amp;q=moving%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">Google search traffic</a> at least.Interest in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-moved-to-canada-not-perfect-but-prefer-over-us-2024-11">moving to Canada</a> tends to spike after big political events such as the <a target="_blank" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2016-11-01%202016-11-30&amp;geo=US&amp;q=moving%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">2016 election</a> and the <a target="_blank" href="https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2022-06-01%202022-06-30&amp;geo=US&amp;q=moving%20to%20canada&amp;hl=en-US">overturning of the Roe v. Wade</a> Supreme Court ruling.This phenomenon doesn't just live on the internet, either — some US residents are seriously considering the move."Even when Trump was elected last time, a lot of people felt that they weren't as comfortable staying in the States, and so we actually did see an influx of people moving to Canada," said Tiffany Woodfield, a senior financial advisor at SWAN Wealth Management of Raymond James.Moving, especially across borders, is a big decision and shouldn't be taken lightly. While the physical act of moving is complicated enough, Woodfield points out that there are a lot of financial considerations to be aware of."I think sometimes it can be a knee-jerk reaction," Woodfield said of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-moved-to-canada-not-perfect-but-prefer-over-us-2024-11">moving to Canada</a>. "If they don't plan ahead of time, they can fall into traps that end up costing them money."<h2 id="c4feab40-7084-4563-951b-72a890ad2b58">You need to file US and Canadian taxes</h2>US citizens residing in Canada might not realize that even on the other side of the border, they're still not free from their tax obligations to Uncle Sam.If you are a US citizen, you still need to file federal US taxes and report your worldwide income to the IRS no matter where you live. In Canada, taxes are based on your residency status, so if you spend more than 183 days of the year living in Canada, you owe the Canadian government taxes.To prevent ex-pats from getting taxed twice on their income, the US and Canada have a tax treaty that provides a foreign income tax credit for any income tax paid to the other country, Woodfield explained. That means you can offset your US tax liability with taxes already paid to Canada, but you still need to file two separate tax returns — one to Canada and one to the US — to receive a tax credit.Additionally, the promise of free healthcare in Canada might sound enticing, but that does come at the cost of higher taxes, so be aware that your Canadian tax bill will probably be higher than what you paid in the US. You also don't have the option to file joint income tax returns with your spouse in Canada, Woodfield warned.<h2 id="7d31b42f-84db-43c3-b2f8-4f871c9958bf">Some Canadian investments have complicated tax implications</h2>"As a US person living in Canada, you don't want to invest in Canadian mutual funds or Canadian ETFs," Woodfield said. That's because these investments are considered Passive Foreign Income Corporations (PFIC) by the US government.PFICs are subject to unfavorable tax treatment from the IRS. The associated tax forms are lengthy and complicated, and you may end up paying high tax rates. If you're still a US citizen, investing in a Canadian mutual fund or ETF simply isn't worth the hassle.<h2 id="0333acc5-88aa-436b-bf74-7cb1b79b71b0">Bringing your retirement plan over the border can be tricky.</h2>401(k)s are a popular way to save for retirement here in the US, but Canadian employers offer a different type of retirement plan: the Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP).Once you move to Canada, you won't be able to actively manage the holdings in your 401(k), according to Woodfield. One workaround is to roll your 401(k) to an IRA and have it managed in Canada. US citizens should also be aware that, in most cases, they won't be able to contribute to their IRA once they move to Canada.Another option is to transfer your US retirement account into an RRSP. However, if you choose this step, make sure you're committed to moving to Canada permanently, as you cannot move RRSPs to IRAs, Woodfield said.You may not be able to bring your brokerage accounts over the border, either. Some people don't realize this until they update their address with their US brokerage account after moving and receive a letter informing them that they have to close out their account.<h2 id="2d468c1f-efc0-45a8-9a7c-53c03c550ff1">You'll need a new financial advisor…and a lot of time</h2>US financial advisors are prohibited by law from providing Canadian residents with financial advice, as they aren't licensed in Canada. If you want expert advice, you need to work with a dual Canada / US licensed advisor.The earlier you start preparing for your cross-border move, the better — ideally, one to two tax years before moving, Woodfield said. That way, you can plan certain taxable events ahead of time and realize the greatest amount of savings, such as liquidating mutual funds. It's also easier to sell your home while you're still in the US, Woodfield said.If you've already begun the moving process or you're already in Canada, don't panic. Woodfield has worked with plenty of people after they've already moved, but the more time you give yourself, the better.Moving across the border is no simple feat, so make sure you're confident about your choice."I've had clients that have moved, and then after the fact, they think, 'Oh, I shouldn't have done this,'" Woodfield said."It's very hard to go back, so people need to be aware of that."

Americans moving to Canada should be aware of these 4 tax and investment implications

The government has officially announced October 1, 2024, as the starting date for <keyword id="23245808" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vivad-Se-Vishwas-2-0" source="keywords">Vivad Se Vishwas 2.0</keyword>, the direct tax dispute resolution scheme. If you're involved in a tax dispute, this scheme might be your chance to resolve it efficiently. Originally introduced during the 2024-25 Union Budget, the scheme is designed to handle <keyword id="22518437" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="income-tax-disputes" source="keywords">income tax disputes</keyword> that are currently tied up in appeals. Confirming the news, the <keyword id="19900485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Ministry" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Finance Ministry" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Finance Ministry">finance ministry</keyword> said in its notification: "The central government hereby appoints the 1st day of October, 2024 as the date on which the Direct Tax Vivad Se Vishwas Scheme, 2024 shall come into force." <h2>The scope of the disputes</h2>To give you an idea of the scale, about 2.7 crore direct tax demands are currently being contested, amounting to a staggering Rs 35 lakh crore. These disputes are scattered across various legal forums, and Vivad Se Vishwas 2.0 aims to help clear this backlog. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113444994" title="In the long run, rate cut by Fed will be favourable for most US banks: Moody&amp;#39;s" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>In her Budget speech, <keyword id="19912360" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister-Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> highlighted the government’s dedication to simplifying taxes and minimising litigation. She said, "The government will continue its efforts to simplify taxes, improve <keyword id="20404572" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="taxpayer-services" source="keywords">taxpayer services</keyword>, provide tax certainty and reduce litigation while enhancing revenues." <h2>Who can avail the scheme?</h2>If you have any pending disputes or appeals, including writs and special leave petitions, whether filed by you or the tax authorities, as of July 22, 2024, you are eligible to take advantage of this scheme. The list of eligible cases includes those pending before the Supreme Court, high courts, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, and Commissioner/Joint Commissioner (Appeals). It also covers cases before the Dispute Resolution Panel (DRP) and revision petitions awaiting a decision from the Commissioner of Income Tax. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113417255" title="Individuals earning over Rs 10 cr rise by 63% in India; financial assets of high net worth individuals to nearly double by 2028" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, the window to decide whether or not to participate in the scheme is limited. As Karishma R. Phatarphekar, Partner at <keyword id="20006170" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deloitte-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Deloitte India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Deloitte India">Deloitte India</keyword>, said: "Given the limited time window, an informed decision on opting for the scheme should be made promptly." The rules and forms for the scheme are expected to be published "imminently in the coming week." <h2>Success of the original Vivad Se Vishwas</h2>For those who are wondering about the potential impact, the first Vivad Se Vishwas scheme, introduced in 2020, resolved a significant number of cases. More than 1 lakh taxpayers participated, and the government collected about Rs 75,000 crore in taxes. With this track record, the expectations from Vivad Se Vishwas 2.0 are high. With October 1 just around the corner, now is the time to prepare if you are considering resolving your tax dispute through Vivad Se Vishwas 2.0. As the rules and forms are expected shortly, it’s wise to consult your <keyword id="23245810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-advisor" source="keywords">tax advisor</keyword> and make a decision soon. This scheme could provide the relief you’ve been waiting for while contributing to a more efficient tax system for all. (With inputs from PTI)

New Vivad Se Vishwas 2.0 tax resolution scheme to start on Oct 1 — what you need to know

<div type="image" title="For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire" height="900" width="1200" msid="114064202" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Once upon a time, there thrived a wild, wild land. Here, it was all about super high monetary stakes, lightning-fast trade deals, and bucketloads of money shifting hands every single second. This wilderness lured millions of individuals with the promise of super duper high returns. But, at what cost? Welcome to the unforgiving, ultra-risky wild west of <keyword id="19991165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-equity-markets" source="keywords">Indian equity markets</keyword> called the <keyword id="145718" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futures-and-Options" source="Orion">futures and options</keyword>. Here, everyone seems to just fly right through the bright red-flagged warnings of financial risks to earn even a fraction of these promised returns. Most burn themselves in the process, but carry on nevertheless, as if nothing ever happened. <h2>Chasing the cloudy profits</h2>The data conclusively proves that every 9 out of 10 individuals only lost their hard-earned money in this land. But hey, what do the numbers know? Some hide their losses out of shame, some out of fear. The proponents, meanwhile, proudly boast unusually high returns on their investments, some open social media channels while others encourage their friends and family to take the plunge. Naturally, news of this unstoppable and humongous en-masse migration to the F&amp;O (futures and options) town has reached sheriff <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, galvanising them into action. After all, it was time to put a leash on this madness and save the common man. The inhabitants of this town doubled in the last 2 years, from 51 lakh in FY22 to 96 lakh in FY24—99.8% of whom were small and mid-income traders. But profits? Well, that's a different, rather completely absent story. <h2>Que Sera Sera, much?</h2>A recent report by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) that studied profits and losses made by traders in the equity derivatives segment between FY22-24 exposed the mad mania of futures and options trading in India, especially since the pandemic. Per the report, 91.1% of individual traders, or about 73 lakh traders had only lost money trading in futures and options in FY24. Between FY 22-24, over 1 crore traders, or about 92.8% of individual traders, had lost Rs 2 lakh each. But once bitten, twice shy? Well, not in this case. More than 75% of individuals, who had only made losses trading in F&amp;O in FY22 and FY23, continued to trade vigorously in FY24 as well, without any changes in the bottom line, which remained deep in red and negative. So, then all these traders must be uber-rich, with tons of cash and not much care to spare? Nope. 76% of traders in the F&amp;O space in FY24 had an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh. 2 years ago, their share stood at 71%. And their choice of poison? Options! In FY24, 60% of traders made losses trading in futures, but a whopping 91.5% burnt their funds trading in options. Mind you, futures are riskier than options. With futures, which require significant capital investment, the buyer and seller both are contractually bound to adhere to the pre-determined strike price of the futures or options contract, irrespective of whether the prevailing prices are higher or lower (and thus, resulting in losses for either the buyer or seller). With options, since this adherence ain't necessary, individuals end up taking debt to take highly leveraged positions while trading here. <h2>Scale of the explosion</h2>Anyone who trades even infrequently will tell you that a demat account is the mitochondria or powerhouse of the trading cell. As of August 2024, India had over 17.1 crore <keyword id="20957284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat-accounts" source="keywords">demat accounts</keyword>, which are a prerequisite for trading in the markets. India is the 9th biggest country in the world, in terms of total demat accounts. Did you know that our demat accounts are at par with the entire population of Bangladesh? Talk about scale! Just 4 years ago, in March 2020, this number was a mere 4 crore. Naturally, the total F&amp;O turnover on both <keyword id="20004725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NSE">NSE</keyword> and BSE has hit the roof, and also broken it. As of October 4, 2024, the total futures and options turnover on NSE stood at a massive Rs 4,78,27,27,750.30 crore. Good luck counting the thousands! <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></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;">Year </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;">Total Turnover (Both Futures and Options) (In Rs Crore) </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;">2020-21 </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;">64,36,03,951.51 </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;">2021-22 </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;">1,69,52,33,134.47 </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;">2022-23 </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;">3,82,23,26,468.06 </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;">2023-24 </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;">7,99,27,67,152.43 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source : NSE Another metric that underlines the meteoric growth of trading in India is the collection of STT or <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword>. As of September 2024, India's STT mop-up had gone past Rs 26,000 crore. Traders have to pay STT whenever they buy or sell any security in the market. So, more trading brings in more STT, and hence, more revenue for the government, so they're not really complaining. After all, this is certainly what they'd call enviable growth. As of August 2023, our STT collection stood at about Rs 21,599 crores. And in FY20-21, India's STT collection had been Rs 16,000 crore. If only our salaries also managed to grow at this rate! <h2>So, what's happening?</h2>Two things. One, it's the big bulls who are raking in all the moolah. And it's the younger lot (those aged under 30) who are propping them up for this. In FY24, 43% of individual traders in the market were less than 30 years of age. In just one year, this number has swelled by 12 percentage points from just 31% of individual traders. But who says ageing is bad? Wrinkles and silver hair seemingly have a propensity of incurring lesser losses in the market. In FY24, only 79% of traders aged above 60 years made losses, as compared to 93% of those aged below 30. Small and mid-income traders, which make up 98% of the total trader base, witnessed average losses per person of Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh in FY24 in futures and options, respectively. The winner here? Clearly, the big bulls, who declared an annual income of over Rs 1 crore, ended up with average profits of Rs 96,000 per person this year. <h2>What’s the sheriff up to?</h2>The government has finally swung into action, hiking the STT rate for F&amp;O during this year’s budget. Effective October 1, 2024, the STT on futures stands at 0.02%, up from 0.0125%. For options, it was upped to 0.1% versus 0.0625% previously. Small margins, but huge impact oncoming. Says Puneet Sharma- CEO and Fund Manager at Whitespace Alpha, “SEBI aims to enhance market stability while safeguarding investor interests, reflecting the regulator's intent to balance risk management with market participation”. But this might come with its own share of challenges, too. “Stricter norms around leverage, transparency, and capital adequacy could limit the ability of investors to determine their own risk appetite, thereby stifling innovation in trading strategies. Over-regulation in an environment that thrives on strategic flexibility and creativity could dampen the market’s dynamism, affecting India's competitiveness in the global derivatives landscape”, he observes. SEBI recently came out with a set of guidelines that aim to thwart <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>' participation in futures and options and hinder them from taking undue risks. Here's a quick recap of what's to come for the residents of the F&amp;O town Margin Requirements: To battle the high volatility and chaos which is generally seen on expiry days(i.e the last mandated date, post which an option becomes invalid), SEBI will put in place an extreme loss margin (ELM) of 2% for all open short options on the day of expiry. Translation? Traders will need to pony up more cash upfront, leaving them with fewer funds to take on risky bets. It ain't a choice: No more of one expiry every single day! Going ahead, an exchange like BSE or NSE will just be able to offer weekly expiries, that too, only on one benchmark index, as opposed to an entire buffet it currently offers. At present, NSE offers weekly options contracts for its financial index, bank and midcap indices. But say goodbye to this, and hello to derivatives on only 1 index per exchange. Raising the bar: Effective November 30, 2024, the minimum contract value for index derivatives will be upped to Rs 15 lakh, from the present Rs 5-10 lakh. The hope is that by making it ultra-expensive to enter these trades, investors will be dissuaded from taking on risky trades. Pay upfront: Starting February 2025, those trading in options will have to pay the entire options premium upfront, even before their trades are executed. This is because options generally carry very high leverage, and paying a significant sum upfront can force traders to think twice. Invigilation Pro Max: Starting April 1 2025, to make sure that the number of positions for equity index derivatives does not slyly slip over the mandated limit, especially on expiry days when trade volumes are huge, the exchanges will have to take a minimum of 4 position snapshots randomly. The question is, will these injections of sobriety be enough to calm down the steroid-fed bull of the futures and options market in India? Well, only time and market turnover will tell! For more insights into the financial markets and business news, stay tuned to our site and social media handles. And don’t forget to subscribe to Business Insider India’s newsletters for your weekly dose of Simply Put! Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

SIMPLY PUT: SEBI is on a mission to take on the wild, wild west of futures and options in India. Here’s why, what, and how

<keyword id="19896016" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi" source="keywords">New Delhi</keyword>: The 54th Meeting of the <keyword id="21275205" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goods-and-Services-Tax-Council" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Goods and Services Tax Council" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Goods and Services Tax Council">Goods and Services Tax Council</keyword> or GST Council, will be held on 9th September 2024 in New Delhi, the GST Council said in a post on social media platform "X" on Tuesday. On June 22, <keyword id="19956758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Minister" source="keywords">Finance Minister</keyword> Nirmala Sitharaman said that the next meeting of the GST Council will take place in mid to late August. The aim of this meeting will be to discuss the pending issues of the last meeting. The council is expected to discuss rate rationalisation and compliance, among others. The GST Council, consisting of the Union Finance Minister and representatives from all States and Union Territories, was established to make decisions on various aspects of GST, including <keyword id="20452955" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tax-rates" source="keywords">tax rates</keyword>, exemptions, and administrative procedures. It played a crucial role in shaping the GST framework in India. The last meeting of the GST Council was held on 22 June 2024 this year. During the meeting, the council recommended relaxation to taxation, Input Tax Credit (ITC) claims and demand notices. The GST Council proposes exemptions for specific services offered by Indian Railways to the general public, as well as for intra-railway transactions. During the 53rd meeting of the council, it proposed an exemption for specific services offered by Indian Railways to the general public, as well as for intra-railway transactions. The sale of platform tickets and services such as retiring rooms, waiting rooms, cloakroom facilities, and battery-operated car services are now exempt from GST. The 53rd council meeting was marked by several key decisions aimed at easing the compliance burden and providing relief to taxpayers. "Today's <keyword id="20115983" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST-Council-meeting" source="keywords">GST Council meeting</keyword> has taken a lot of decisions on trade facilitation, easing compliance burden and relief to taxpayers in terms of compliance easing out," the Finance Minister had said. The GST Council recommended waiving interest penalties on demand notices issued under Section 73 of the GST Act for fiscal years 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20. The Council, in its June 22 meeting, approved an extension for availing input tax credit (ITC) on any invoice or debit note. To curb government litigation, the Council has recommended setting monetary thresholds for filing appeals by departments: Rs 20 lakh for the GST appellate tribunal, Rs 1 crore for high courts, and Rs 2 crore for the Supreme Court. In a move to assist small taxpayers, the Council, in its last meeting, extended the deadline for furnishing returns from April 30 to June 30 for the fiscal year 2024-25 and subsequent years. The Council, in its last meeting, recommended the phased rollout of biometric-based Aadhaar authentication for GST registration applicants across India. The Council recommended a uniform GST rate of 12 per cent on all milk cans, regardless of their material (steel, iron, or aluminium), to eliminate disputes. The Finance Minister, during the last GST meeting, reiterated the central government's intent to bring petrol and diesel under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) framework. She highlighted that the groundwork for this inclusion was laid during the initial implementation of GST and emphasized that the decision now lies with the state governments. The central government has long maintained that incorporating petrol and diesel into GST would streamline tax rates and potentially reduce prices for consumers.

54th GST Council meeting to take place on September 9 in New Delhi

The conflicting narratives about the US economy seem to have one thing in common: extremity.There are those who argue that America isn't just on the edge of a recession but already in one: "The Sahm rule has triggered! The ISM is below 50! Payroll employment has been revised down by nearly 1 million!" The doomers are using anything they can to argue that the economy is in dire straits. On the other end of the spectrum are the people worried that the economy is too strong and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fed-interest-rate-cuts-outlook-economy-recession-no-landing-borrowing-2024-10">headed for a "no landing" scenario</a> of stubbornly higher inflation and more pain for borrowers.It may not be as eye-catching, but the truth, based on the latest economic data, is that the US economy is in good shape and that there's a good chance it can achieve the long-desired "soft landing," or as I previously called it, "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/2024-outlook-us-economy-stock-market-jobs-inflation-interest-rates-2023-11">economic nirvana</a>." Sure, recession is a risk, and there was a real sense of uncertainty during the summer. But with the Federal Reserve's recent interest-rate cut, the chance of a downturn is fading, and the notion that the economy has been in a recession for over a year strains credulity.<h2 id="2fbae559-c067-489c-83c6-4e049fb34bf0">We're not in a recession</h2>To determine whether the economy is in recession, it helps to first define the term. A popular definition says a recession is triggered after two straight quarters of falling GDP. But this is not the definition used by the official recession scorekeeper: the National Bureau of Economic Research. The group — made up of economists and experts in business-cycle research — takes a holistic view of the data, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.nber.org/research/business-cycle-dating/business-cycle-dating-procedure-frequently-asked-questions">defining recession as</a> "a significant decline in economic activity that is spread across the economy and that lasts more than a few months." The four main variables the NBER uses are real incomes less government transfer payments like Social Security or unemployment benefits; industrial production; real spending; and employment. In recent decades, the recession-dating committee has given more weight to real incomes and payroll employment. The improvement across these indicators has not been uniform, but it's clear they've been moving in the right direction:<ul><li>Employment: So far this year, the economy has added an average of 176,000 jobs each month, including the benchmark revision. That's modestly slower than 2023 but still consistent growth.</li><li>Spending: In the eight months so far this year, consumers' real spending has advanced at a 2.1% annualized rate, below last year's 3.5% pace but hardly a disaster.</li><li>Incomes: Real incomes have advanced at a 2.7% annualized rate this year — a reasonable outcome, albeit slower than the rate in 2023.</li></ul><ul><li>Industrial production: The most sluggish of the four indicators, the output generated by America's manufacturers has been essentially flat since mid-2022.</li></ul>Taken together, these indicators suggest that the argument that the economy is in a recession — or on the precipice of one — is preposterous.So what about the revisions to economic data? Quite a bit of ink has been spilled on the notion that while the data might not definitely say recession right now, as more is gathered and updates are made, a recession will be obvious in the revised figures.Gathering data for an economy as large as ours is an arduous process, one that requires great care. Sometimes data gets revised because long-term seasonal patterns in economic activity shift, recontextualizing the numbers that came before. In the case of employment, there are more frequent revisions based on official tax data that was unavailable at the time of the initial report. If I was being generous, I'd say that, at worst, the revisions to recent data have been mixed. Sure, the yearlong payrolls were adjusted down, but the story has largely been the same: This is a cooling but not collapsing labor market. Plus, GDP and its close cousin gross domestic income were revised upward by a good amount. Together, these things imply an economy that's growing at a decent, if not spectacular, clip. Those waiting on revisions that reveal a recession need to go back to the drawing board.<h2 id="5c826df3-5a90-44ea-9463-184b8762bdcc">Safety not guaranteed</h2>Now, just because the US economy isn't in recession doesn't mean the outlook is without risk. The most obvious risk to the economy is that the recent weakening of the job market will continue and that the Fed, in turn, will get stuck somewhat behind the curve in its efforts to arrest the rise in the unemployment rate. Despite the 50-basis-point interest-rate cut by Chairman Jerome Powell and the rest of the Fed, there's evidence of additional slowing in the labor market.Two data points stand out to me as signs that the dangers could be real:<ul><li>The Conference Board's labor differential collapsed to a fresh low of 12.6 in September. This measure is the difference between the percentage of surveyed consumers who say they think jobs are plentiful and the percentage who say they believe jobs are hard to get. Consumers tend to spot changes in their local economies before the official data, and in this case they're telling us more unemployment is on the way.</li><li>The hiring rate and the quits rate continue to trend down. Businesses aren't feeling upbeat enough to hire, and workers aren't feeling confident enough in their prospects to leave their jobs in search of a new one. We've even gone a bit beyond pre-pandemic normalization — at 1.9%, the quits rate is as low as it was in 2015. While it's encouraging that layoffs are low, the low rate of hiring implies it would not take much of an increase in layoffs to nudge employment growth to a much weaker rate.</li></ul>Yes, the latest employment report mitigates some of our concerns. But there's a chance conditions will deteriorate. For one, the strong-than-expected September jobs report represents a sharp rebound in momentum inconsistent with most other metrics in the economy. In other words, it could have been a one-off. The risk with unemployment is always that it builds on itself. If it has been rising, as it has over the past year and a half, it tends to keep rising.The mitigating factor here is the Fed. Since the rate cut, I've grown more confident that it will act in the face of weaker employment data. Leading up to the decision, there was some question about whether it would, in fact, cut a full 50 basis points. Some argued that such a large rate cut meant Powell and the other Fed officials were worried about growing risk ahead. I saw a different signal. It told us less about what was to come and more about what happened up to that point: The labor market had weakened, and inflation had cooled significantly, so the Fed was belatedly acknowledging that fact. Given the balance of risks and the strong signal of the rate cut, it has shown a commitment to act decisively should labor markets deteriorate further.<h2 id="3487bd46-be51-4bf2-af9c-caeb06bdbc23">Sure, but what does it mean for stocks?</h2>Financial markets are bets on the outlook, not the past. Telling an investor that a recession started six months or a year ago is useless. Even if a recession did start last fall or this spring, that doesn't mean equity prices go back in time and get revised down. So what's the point of making such a call in the first place?It's better to evaluate markets' next move based on the actual data we're seeing, plus a sober-minded projection of future economic shifts. Following the strength of the latest jobs report, the markets appear to be pricing in an inflationary boom — strong growth with sticky inflation. This has pushed up <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/economy-outlook-impact-of-rate-cuts-10-year-treasury-yields-2024-9">bond yields</a> (which move in the opposite direction of their underlying price) and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mortgage-rate-increase-since-federal-reserve-cut-interest-rates-housing-2024-10">mortgage rates</a> while reigniting all the "no landing" talk. I think the economic outlook is more consistent with modest growth and slowing inflation. Given the recent market move and the expectations for a more benign outlook, bond investors are likely overdoing the sell-off, meaning that the market is set to bounce back as yields fall and that bonds are likely to do better than stocks in the short term.Longer term, I see a Fed willing to step in aggressively at the first sign of labor-market trouble. If the labor market deteriorates and the unemployment rate increases, we ought not to rule out another 50-basis-point move. Add in an economy continuing to expand with a benign inflation outlook, and that's a positive backdrop for equity investors. Stocks don't work when a recession becomes obvious. Perhaps we don't see the types of gains we've seen over the past year, but a deep correction does not seem likely either.<a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/neil-dutta">Neil Dutta</a> is head of economics at Renaissance Macro Research.

America dodged a recession. Now there's one last pitfall to avoid.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some young people are considering a "lavender marriage" over a traditional relationship.</li><li>Lavender marriages historically helped conceal sexual orientation, but Gen Zers are redefining it.</li></ul>For many young people right now, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-apps-find-love-romance-online-tinder-match-total-scam-2024-10">dating scene is rough</a>, their families are far away, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-rent-costs-renters-rental-housing-market-affordability-income-prices-2024-5">housing is expensive</a>.To share the load, some are opening up applications for "lavender marriages" — something that was once the preserve of the LGBTQ+ community.The term was originally coined in the early 20th to describe a union between a man and a woman in which one or both partners are homosexual or bisexual.It was meant to provide a facade for those who wanted to hide their sexuality from wider society.But lavender marriages have made a resurgence on social media in recent months among Gen Zers who are tired of being broke, single, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktokers-are-documenting-the-epidemic-of-loneliness-2023-4">and lonely</a>. Some videos with the hashtag #lavendermarriage on TikTok have amassed <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdeFu9BW/">millions of views</a> on the platform.Robbie Scott, a TikToker and musician with 300,000 followers, recently posted a video asking for "applications for a lavender marriage" because he wanted to live with someone so he could afford mortgage payments, utilities, and taxes."You can mess around with whoever you want, whenever you want, I don't care," he said in the video, which has received <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGdeYrKj4/">more than five million views</a>. "In fact, I encourage it. Have fun. Live your best life."<h2 id="1c4be94f-a91b-485c-9850-ac0905f2ba7c">A modern-day lavender marriage</h2>Traditionally, a lavender marriage was just that — a legally binding marriage.Edward Reese, a gender and sexuality expert at the LGBTQ+ dating app Taimi, told Business Insider that this can still be true. It can bring benefits such as inheritance rights, childcare, tax breaks, better mortgage rates, and primary care if one of you gets ill."People can do it in case one or both partners don't have family or have gone no contact, and their lavender spouse becomes not only their best friend but a legal family member," he said.But the modern version of a lavender marriage could also simply be a spoken agreement between two people to live their lives like a married couple, without the sex.This is different from having a roommate, Reese added, who can move out of a shared household any minute, whenever they choose."The couple in the lavender marriage is expected to get through all the conflicts, discuss and compromise," he said. "It's a union with commitment, love, and loyalty, and all of these can be not romantic."Christine DeVore, a licensed clinical psychologist who is the director of adult and couples services at Birch Psychology, told BI that a lavender marriage offers a practical solution to some of life's burdens."It's a way to ease financial stress while still being independent," she said.While somewhat tongue-in-cheek, Scott's video on TikTok prompted other Gen Zers to share their thoughts. They said lavender marriages were "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@a_literal_crab_rangoon/video/7421015761826663722">looking more appealing by the day</a>" and that the agreement might be what they "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@afreakingmaya/video/7375348974997523758">really need</a>."Several older viewers commented, saying they had given lavender marriages a try and were happier than ever.<div type="image" title="Couple holding hands, wearing wedding rings, on their wedding day." height="2574" width="3861" msid="114123013" hostid="261" sizebytes="164894"></div>Sofie Roos, a licensed sexologist, relationship therapist, and sexual health expert who writes for the sex-positive magazine <a target="_blank" href="https://passionerad.se/">Passionerad</a>, added that there are many other benefits to a lavender marriage, including physical touch and comfort.She said benefits can include "cuddling in front of a TV show or when reading a book, sleeping together, and providing physical support and safety when needed.""Just as in every marriage, you feel safe with the person," Roos added. "Even though no attraction is involved, you can gain much more from being physically close to your lavender married partner than being close to a friend or to a one-night stand."<h2 id="0b761dc2-b1a7-47c3-8360-c29646ae62d2">A deeper issue</h2>It's unclear exactly how many lavender marriages are taking place, and to what extent the conversations on TikTok reflect a wider trend. But they do hint at more serious societal issues.Dating is still big business. Dating companies generated more than <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-apps-find-love-romance-online-tinder-match-total-scam-2024-10">$5 billion</a> in 2023 alone. Match Group generated annual revenues of more than $3.4 billion, while Bumble had revenues of $1.1 billion last year.But growth appears to be slowing. Match Group's paying users fell by around 6% in the first quarter of the year. It is now valued at $9.51 billion, down from $50 billion in 2021. Meanwhile, Bumble's value has fallen by around 90% since it went public in 2021. It is now worth around $822 million.That may be because Gen Zers are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-dating-trend-online-apps-friends-romantic-partners-relationships-2023-3">turning away from </a>dating apps, with some thinking the apps now miss the point of what made them fun in the first place — <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tinder-hinge-okcupid-operator-match-sued-making-dating-apps-addictive-2024-2">going after profits</a> rather than real connections.Others are tired of modern dating culture, with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fancy-first-date-no-connection-ghosted-2023-8">ghosting</a>, catfishing, and some prospective partners not showing up to dates at all.One creator, Cleopatra, who is 23, told BI that what really appealed to her is the community aspect, where women can live without fear of being hurt or abused."I think the majority want change," Cleopatra said. "This patriarchal lifestyle, these gender roles, are becoming exhausting, to say the least.""The dating pool is certainly full of shit," she added.She said the financial stability the arrangement could offer was also definitely a draw, particularly given <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-millennials-housing-costs-insurance-debt-election-trump-biden-2024-6">Zoomers have more debt</a> and are paying more for housing than millennials did a decade ago.According to a recent <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-apps-find-love-romance-online-tinder-match-total-scam-2024-10">Washington Post</a> analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics data, Gen Z is spending 31% more on housing costs compared to what millennials paid 10 years ago, a figure which also factors in inflation.The Post analysis said that car insurance costs increased more than twofold for Americans aged 16 to 24 between 2012 and 2022, and health insurance costs spiked 46% for this group during the same time span.That has led some to consider "<a target="_blank" href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/13/lifestyle/i-want-an-inflationship-lets-live-sexless-and-financially-free-in-the-same-bed/">inflationships</a>" — living in the same room, in the same bed, without having sex. Lavender marriages could just be furthering this trend.<h2 id="d50f74e2-7f51-4604-8646-2d542838f5a1">Boundaries are important</h2>For young people who are reconsidering how to approach relationships, a lavender marriage "can be a great replacement," Reese said. People are more commonly discovering they are aromantic or asexual, he added, which questions the pop culture norm of focusing on straight sex and love for so long.There are challenges, however. DeVore and Roos warned that emotional complexities can arise from such entanglements, and open communication about boundaries and feelings is vital for it to work.For example, the rules of a lavender marriage may be vague, meaning there could be the potential for upset down the line. Partners may disagree on what is allowed outside the relationship and what isn't and have different ideas of what defines cheating.Roos said this is when lavender marriages can show their weak side, triggering feelings of jealousy and sadness if one partner starts feeling left out.The arrangement may also not suit both people forever, such as if one decides to pursue a romantic relationship."What felt OK when talking things through before, or at the beginning, of the marriage, might therefore, later on not feel OK at all," Roos said.Ultimately, she said challenges and conflicts can arise even in the most committed partnerships, DeVore said."While a lavender marriage may offer certain advantages, it does not guarantee a lifetime of happiness and fulfillment," she said."It's important to remember that no relationship, including a lavender marriage, is immune to heartache."

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