Payroll & Income Tax Guide 2023-24
Payroll & Income Tax Guide 2023-24
These are general information basis the commonly sought responses and do not amount to advice on
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Further, this information must also be read along with your company specific HR/Compensation
policy for clear understanding
Salary normally includes wages, annuity, pension, gratuity, commission, perquisites, etc.
and any other payment received by an employee from the employer during the year. These
are paid and tax is deducted at source by your current employer. An annual statement of
earnings and deductions (Form 16) is given to each employee at the end of each financial
year (April –March).
Allowances are fixed sums of money paid regularly in addition to salary for the purpose of
meeting some requirement. There are 3 types of allowances:
• Taxable allowances
• Partially exempted allowances
• Fully exempted allowances
Most allowances are fully taxable while some are partially taxable like House Rent
Allowance, City Compensatory allowance. A table with details of taxability is
enclosed as under:
It is mandatory to submit the PAN to the employer, failure to which the income tax will be
deducted at the rate of 20% of the taxable income or the average tax whichever is higher, as
per Sec 206AA of the Income Tax.
Income Tax slab for resident Individual who is less than 60 years of age
Taxable Income Slab Income Tax Rate & Cess
Up to Rs. 2.5 Lakh Nil
Rs. 2,50,001 to Rs. 5,00,000 5% of (Total Income minus Rs. 2,50,000)
Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs. 10,00,000 Rs. 12,500 + 20% of (Total Income minus Rs. 5,00,000)
Rs. 10,00,001 and above Rs. 1,12,500 + 30% of (Total Income minus Rs. 10,00,000)
Income Tax slab for resident Individual who is equal to or greater than 60 and less than
80 years of age (Senior Citizen)
Taxable Income Slab Income Tax Rate & Cess
Up to Rs. 3 Lakh Nil
Rs. 3,00,001 to Rs. 5,00,000 5% of (Total Income minus Rs. 3,00,000)
Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs. 10,00,000 Rs. 10,000 + 20% of (Total Income minus Rs. 5,00,000)
Rs. 10,00,001 and above Rs. 1,10,000 + 30% of (Total Income minus Rs. 10,00,000)
Income Tax slab for resident Individual who is equal to or greater than 80 years of age
(Super Senior Citizen)
Taxable Income Slab Income Tax Rate & Cess
Up to Rs. 5 Lakh Nil
Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs. 10,00,000 20% of (Total Income minus Rs. 5,00,000)
Rs. 10,00,001 and above Rs. 1,00,000 + 30% of (Total Income minus Rs. 10,00,000)
Surcharge:
• Note: The amount of Income Tax and Surcharge shall not increase the amount of
income tax payable on the respective taxable income by more than the amount of
increase in taxable income.
• Sec 87A relief up to Rs. 12,500 will be available to a resident individual whose total
taxable income does not exceed Rs. 5,00,000.
• Section 87A rebate is applicable for only the taxpayer who is resident in India.
• Section 87A rebate is not applicable for PAN not available cases.
Health & Education Cess: 4% of the total of Income Tax and Surcharge.
If the employee's PAN is not available and his total taxable income is less than the taxable
limit (INR 250,000) within the tax year, then there is no tax withholding required.
For example: The taxable income for the year is INR 2,00,000. As it is less than the taxable
limit of INR 2,50,000, there is no withholding tax due for the employee on the employment
income of INR 2,00,000.
If the employee's total taxable income is INR 3,00,000 which is exceeding INR 2,50,000,
then the withholding u/s 206AA will be applicable - i.e., the higher of the graduated tax rates
(old or new regime) or a flat rate of 20%, which would be at flat rate of 20% @ INR 300,000
= INR 60,000.
Where the employee's taxable income exceeds the taxable limit (e.g. INR 250,001) in old or
new regime, the withholding tax for the employee without PAN will be calculated in
accordance to Section 206AA of Income Tax Act 1961, regardless of the employee's taxable
income, i.e. the taxes will be withheld at the higher of the following rates:
Applicability of Surcharge and Cess - If the withholding tax is calculated at a flat rate of 20%,
then Surcharge and Cess is not applicable. Otherwise, the Surcharge and Cess will be
included in the withholding tax calculation.
Section 87A Rebate is not applicable, as this would only apply if the employee is assessed
based on the graduated rates and the total income is less than INR 500,000. However, for
such cases, the flat rate of 20% would result in a higher withholding tax.
Form 16 is a certificate issued by the employer every year to its employees under section
203 of Income Tax Act for Tax Deducted at Source from the Income chargeable under
“Salaries”.
The employee is required to furnish details of the income, under "Salaries" due or received
from the former/other employer to the present/current employer, and also tax deducted at
source, in writing and duly verified by him and by the former/other employer in Form 12B
(copy of this Form is available on ([Link] The present/current
employer will deduct tax at source based on the aggregate amount of salary (including salary
received from the former or other employer), though it does not reflect on the Form 16 of the
current employer.
From the House Rent Allowance (HRA) received as part of salary during the year, least of the
following three amounts are exempt from tax (or not included in income):
• Amount equal to 50% of annual salary for persons staying in metros (Mumbai,
Chennai, Calcutta, or Delhi) and 40%, for other cities
• Actual amount of HRA received
• Amount of rent actually paid in excess of 10% of annual salary
For HRA exemption purpose, Salary is defined as basic salary, dearness allowance, and
commission on fixed percentage, but not other allowances.
Example:
1. Salary for the entire year Rs. 300,000/- (Basic + Dearness Allowance)
2. Actual HRA received Rs. 72,000/-
3. Rent paid for the entire year Rs. 60,000/- (5000 pm * 12 months)
Example:
To provide tax exemption to cash allowance in lieu of leave travel concession due
to pandemic, for Financial Year beginning on April 1, 2020, the value in lieu of
any travel concession or assistance received by an individual was also to be
exempt by fulfilment of conditions as prescribed.
The conditions listed out by the CBDT for availing the tax exemption under the
LTC cash voucher scheme required the employee to spend a sum equal to three
times of the value of the deemed LTC fare on purchase of goods / services which
carry a GST rate of 12 per cent or more from GST registered vendors / service
providers through digital mode between October 12, 2020 to March 31, 2021 and
to obtain a voucher indicating the GST number and the amount of GST paid.
Rs.100 per month per child up to a maximum of two children, if provided as part of your
compensation structure
The Finance Act, 2023 brought in an amendment for the purposes of calculation of
“perquisite” about the value of rent-free or concessional accommodation provided to an
employee, by his employer. Accordingly, CBDT has modified Rule 3 of the Income-tax
Rules, 1961 to provide for the same.
The categorization and the limits of cities and population have now been based on the 2011
census as against the 2001 census earlier. The revised limits of population are 40 lakhs in
place of 25 lakhs and 15 lakhs in place of 10 lakhs. The earlier perquisite rates of 15%, 10%
and 7.5% of the salary have now been reduced to 10%, 7.5% and 5% of the salary
respectively in the amended Rule. This is summarized as under:
Previous Categorization and Rates (up to New Categorization and Rates (from
31.08.2023) 01.09.2023 onwards)
Perquisite
Population Perquisite Rate Population Rate
More than 25 lakhs 15% More than 40 lakhs 10%
Between 10 lakhs and 25 Between 15 lakhs and 40
lakhs 10% lakhs 7.5%
Less than 10 lakhs 7.5% Less than 15 lakhs 5%
b) If the furniture, appliances, and equipment have been taken on hire by the employer,
the actual hire charges payable/paid.
In case the “same accommodation” is continued to be given to “same employee” for “more
than one financial year”, then the perquisite value from second year onwards shall be lower of:
a. Amount calculated for the relevant year considering the new rates and
b. Perquisite calculated for first previous year * (CII for the year of valuation/CII for the first
previous year).
• The population under new categorization is as per 2011 census and not as per 2001
census.
• The new perquisites rates will be applicable from 1 September 2023 and hence there is
a requirement to value perquisite towards accommodation facility provided by
employer considering old valuation rates till 31 August 2023 and new rates thereafter
for FY 2023-24.
• “First previous year” refers to either FY 2023-24 or the financial year in which the
accommodation was provided to the employee whichever is later.
Example 2: Mr. Sharma’s employer leases an unfurnished house for him and provides it as
accommodation throughout the Financial Year 2023-24. Mr. Sharma’s monthly salary is
INR 70,000, and the actual rent paid by his employer for the house is INR 10,000 per
month. Compute the perquisite value.
2. Motor Car
Car Used for Partially for official and partially for personal purposes.
Expense paid by Running and maintenance expense is reimbursed by the employer.
Car CC <1.6 cc > 1.6 cc
Perk Amount 1800/-p.m 2400/-p.m
Car Used for Partially for official and partially for personal purposes.
Expense paid by Running and maintenance expense is reimbursed by the employer.
Driver Salary
Other Vehicles
The actual amount of expenditure reimbursed by the employer less Rs. 900 p.m will be
considered as perquisite.
3. Food Coupon:
Valuation of perquisite for free food and non-alcoholic beverages provided by the employer
to an employee shall be the amount of expenditure incurred by such employer and shall be
reduced by the amount, if any, paid or recovered from the employee for such benefit or
amenity.
An exception is provided by way of a proviso to exclude the value of free food and non-
alcoholic beverages provided by such employer during working hours at office or business
premises or through paid vouchers which are not transferable and usable only at eating
joints, to the extent the value thereof in either case does not exceed Rs. 50 per meal or to
tea or snacks provided during working hours or to free food and non-alcoholic beverages
during working hours provided in a remote area or an offshore installation.
This exception will not be available if in case the new tax regime is opted. Thus, free food
and non-alcoholic beverages provided by the employer even during working hours at office
or business premises shall be fully taxable in the hands of those employees who have opted
for the New Regime.
However, the exemption for meal card is available only up to Rs. 50/-per meal or tea or
snacks, and the balance will be taxed as salary income for Old Regime opted employees.
Value of perquisite is the amount paid by the employer to the agency supplying the amenity
(free supply of gas, electricity and water) for household consumption. Any amount paid by
the employee for such facilities or services shall be reduced from the above amount.
Value of perquisite is the excess of interest payable at prescribed interest rate over interest
actually paid by the employee, or any member of his household. The prescribed interest rate
is the rate charged by the State Bank of India as on the 1st day of the relevant financial year.
The aggregate of loan amounts (from Personal, Vehicle & Housing) should be more
than Rs.20000/- for this perquisite to apply.
If the employee uses an asset owned by the employer, perquisite is charged at the rate of
10% of the original cost of the asset, as reduced by any charges recovered from the
employee for such use. These include household furniture, white goods, though
computers and laptops are not covered under this perquisite.
Rs. 50,000 in lieu of Transport Allowance and Reimbursement of Misc. Medical Expenditure
House that is constructed or acquired after April 1999 by using borrowed capital, interest on
such borrowed capital up to an amount of Rs. 200,000.00 can be claimed as a deduction. In
case, the house was acquired / constructed prior to April 1999, the amount of deduction is Rs.
30,000.
Rent received for let out property reduced by Interest on borrowed capital and 30% of
the net annual value for repair and maintenance is taken as loss / profit.
For both the above, the assessee must produce a certificate from the lender specifying the
interest payable towards the capital borrowed for construction or acquisition of a house.
Only interest paid post completion of house is entitled / eligible for deduction and Pre-EMI
interest is amortized over a period of 5 years.
Example:
1. Interest payable on housing loan (Loan taken after 01.04.1999): 280,000
2. Pre-EMI paid is Rs. 30,000
3. Rent received (in case of Let Out Property) Rs. 36000/- pa
If loss under the head “Income from house property” cannot be fully adjusted in
the year in which such loss is incurred, then unadjusted loss can be carried
forward to next year. In the subsequent years(s) such loss can be adjusted only
against income chargeable to tax under the head “Income from house property”.
Such loss can be carried forward for eight years immediately succeeding the year
in which the loss is incurred.
Under 80C, an employee is entitled to deductions for the amounts paid or deposited in the
current financial year in the following schemes, subject to a limit of Rs.150,000/.
Therefore, the maximum deduction available under this section is to the extent of Rs. 100,000
From FY 2015-16 a cumulative additional deduction of Rs. 5,000 is allowed for preventive
health check up to individuals.
Medical expenditure incurred by assessee on the health of a senior citizen aged 60 years and
above provided that no amount has been paid to effect or to keep in force an insurance on the
health.
The Income Tax Act does not define medical expenditure. Though medical expenditure is not
defined anywhere in the Act, but going by the motive, expenses such as consultation fees,
medicines, hearing aids and so on can be claimed as deduction.
Along with not defining the term medical expenditure, the Income Tax Act also does not
specify what documents you should keep claiming this deduction. Even then, it would be
prudent to keep documentary evidence such as medical bills, invoice of medicines and others,
in case the income tax department asks you to prove the claim of your deduction.
To establish the proof of medical expenses, one must keep the doctor's prescription along
with the copy of invoices/receipts of the consultation fees, diagnostic tests, medicine bills etc.
would be required.
* Includes (i) contribution to the Central Government Health Scheme/notified scheme for self
& family; and (ii) amount paid for preventive health check-up up to INR 5,000.
Note: The payment for preventive health check-up can only be made in cash, other payments
must be made by non-cash mode.
The said deduction in respect of interest on loan taken for higher Education of Individual’s
relative also will be allowed i.e., 100% of amount of interest paid on such loan. “Relative” is
defined in the mean the spouse and children of the individual.
Deduction is allowed in respect of Interest on Loans taken for pursuing higher education in
specified fields of study to be extended to cover all fields of study, including vocational
studies, pursued after completion of school. Interest paid for the first 8 years on loans taken
for Higher Education such as Engineering / Medical etc. The deduction is available for a
maximum of 8 years (beginning the year in which the interest starts getting repaid) or till the
entire interest is repaid, whichever is earlier.
80EE - Interest on loan for acquiring residential house property, sanctioned during FY
2016-17
Additional exemption of Rs. 50,000 for housing loans up to Rs. 35 lakhs provided cost of
house is not above Rs. 50 lakhs (new loans taken in the FY 2016-17).
A deduction for interest payments up to Rs 1,50,000 is available under Section 80EEA. This
deduction is over and above the deduction of Rs 2 lakh for interest payments available under
Section 24 of the Income Tax Act.
Therefore, taxpayers can claim a total deduction of Rs 3.5L for interest on home loan if they
meet the conditions of section 80EEA.
a) The loan must be taken between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2022;
b) The value of house property must not exceed Rs 45 lakh; and
c) Individual should not own any house on the date of sanctioning of loan.
d) The individual taxpayer should not be eligible to claim deduction under the existing
Section 80EE.
An assessee certified by the medical authority with permanent physical disability is allowed a
deduction of Rs. 75,000, and in case the assessee is certified with (severe) permanent physical
disability (More than 80%), the deduction of Rs. 1,25,000 will qualify for deduction.
Section 80G provides for deductions on account of donation made to various funds, charitable
organizations etc. Generally, no deduction will be allowed by the D.D.O. from the salary
income in respect of any donations made for charitable purposes. The tax relief on such
donations as admissible under section 80G of the Act, will have to be claimed by the taxpayer
in the return of income.
However, in cases where employees make donations to the Prime Minister’s National Relief
Fund, the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund or the Lieutenant Governor’s Relief Fund through
their respective employers, it is not possible for such funds to issue separate certificate to
every such employee in respect of donations made to such funds as contributions made to
these funds are in the form of a consolidated cheque. An employee who makes donations
towards these nationalized funds is eligible to claim deduction under section 80G. It is,
hereby, clarified that the claim in respect of such donations as indicated above will be
admissible under section 80G based on the certificate issued by the Drawing and Disbursing
Officer (DDO)/Employer in this behalf - Circular No. 2/2005, dated 12-1-2005.
Maximum deduction allowed on Interest from savings account under Sec 80TTA is
Rs.10,000/-. Interest from savings account declared will also be accounted as “Other
Income”. Sec 80TTB will allow a deduction up to Rs 50,000/- in respect of interest income
from deposits held by senior citizens. However, no deduction under section 80TTA shall be
allowed in these cases.
Maximum deduction is allowed under this section is within the overall Sec 80CCE limit of
Rs.1,50,000/-. Section 80CCE comprises of sub-sections 80C, 80CCC, 80CCD (1).
This additional benefit of Rs. 50,000 is over and above the benefit of Rs. 1.5 lakhs allowed to
be claimed as a deduction under Section 80CCE. Therefore, now the total deduction that can
be claimed under Section 80CCE + Section 80CCD (1B) = Rs. 2 Lakhs.
Atal Pension Yojana (APY), a pension scheme launched by Government of India is focused
on the unorganized sector workers. Under the APY, minimum guaranteed pension of Rs.
1,000/- or 2,000/- or 3,000/- or 4,000 or 5,000/- per month will start after attaining the age of
60 years depending on the contributions by the subscribers for their chosen pension amount.
A person who is in age group of 18 years to 39 years 364 days can join Atal Pension Yojana.
The contribution amount shall depend on the age of the subscriber at the time of opening of
APY account, frequency of contribution and the pension slab chosen.
The contributions to be made at monthly / quarterly / half yearly intervals through auto debit
facility from savings bank account/ post office savings bank account of the subscriber. The
receipt/challan copy issued by the Bank or Post office or the transaction statement of APY
account from the Bank or Post office to be submitted towards APY contribution as a proof.
Contributions made by an individual under the Atal Pension Yojana are eligible for the
deductions under section 80CCD of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Maximum deduction allowed
under section 80CCD (1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961 is Rs.1,50,000 p.a. as specified under
section 80CCE of the Income Tax Act. An additional contribution of Rs. 50,000 p.a. is
eligible for an additional deduction of Rs. 50,000 p.a. under section 80CCD(1B) of the
Income Tax Act, 1961.
The provisions under Section 80 CCD (2) come into effect when an employer is contributing
to the NPS of an employee. This section applies to only salaried individuals and not to self-
employed individuals. The deductions under this Section can be availed over and above those
of Section 80 CCD (1) and 80CCD (1B). Section 80CCD (2) allows salaried individuals to
claim deductions up to 10% of their salary which includes the basic pay and dearness
allowance or is equal to the contributions made by the employer towards the NPS, whichever
is less.
The deduction under this section is available only to individuals. This deduction is not
available to any other taxpayer.
To claim deduction under section 80GGC, the individual is required to make donations /
contributions only to a political party or an electoral trust.
It should be noted here that, the political party referred above covers only a political party
which is registered under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Any
donation / contribution to any other political party would not qualify as a deduction under
section 80GGC.
The deduction cannot be claimed by local authorities and every artificial juridical person
which is either wholly or partly funded by the Government.
The whole of the amount of contribution / donation is available as a deduction under section
80GGC. In other words, a 100% deduction is available to an amount contributed towards a
political party or an electoral trust under section 80GGC. However, total amount of deduction
allowed to an assessee cannot exceed the total taxable income of an assessee.
For claiming deduction under section 80GGC, an assessee can adopt any mode of payment
which is linked through a banking channel like online net banking or demand draft or cheque
or debit card etc.
Any contribution / donations through cash is not eligible for deduction under section 80GGC.
Further, any donations made in kind also doesn’t qualify for deduction under section 80GGC.
New Personal Tax Regime u/s 115BAC(1A) to be the default Regime from FY 2023-24. If no
intimation is made by the employee to the employer about his/her intended tax regime, then it
shall be presumed that the employee continues to be in the default tax regime and has not
exercised the option to opt out of the new tax regime.
Notes:
• These New Tax Regime rates are applicable for all the genders and irrespective of
their age.
• In the New Tax Regime, a taxpayer will have to forgo all the commonly available tax
deductions and exemptions such as those available under section 80C, 80D, LTA
exemption, HRA exemption, Professional Tax, Housing Loan Interest etc. except for
section 80CCD (2), i.e., Employer's Contribution to NPS.
• The taxable income rebate limit under Sec 87A in the New Tax Regime is INR
7,00,000, meaning that taxpayers in the New Tax Regime with income up to INR
7,00,000 will not have to pay any income tax. Hence, taxpayers will get the maximum
rebate amount of INR 25,000 under New Tax Regime.
• Section 87A rebate is applicable for only the taxpayer who is resident in India.
• Section 87A rebate is not applicable for PAN not available cases.
Marginal relief to a resident individual opting New Tax Regime [Section 87A]:
Section 87A will allow a marginal relief if the total income marginally exceeds Rs. 7,00,000.
The marginal rebate under Section 87A shall be computed in the following steps:
Step 1: Calculate tax payable on total income before rebate under Section 87A
Step 2: Calculate the difference between total income and Rs. 7,00,000.
Step 4: If the figure in Step 3 is positive, the difference will be the rebate allowed under
Section 87A. However, if the figure is negative, then no rebate shall be allowed under Section
87A.
The marginal rebate on different ranges of incomes has been computed in the following table
for easy understanding:
Vide Finance Act, 2023, sub-section (1A) has been inserted in section 115BAC of the
Income-tax Act, 1961 (the Act) to provide for a new tax regime with effect from the
assessment year beginning on or after the 1st day of April 2024. This regime applies to an
individual or Hindu undivided family or association of persons [other than a cooperative
society] or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, or an artificial juridical person.
Under this new regime, the income-tax in respect of the total income of the person shall be
computed at the rates provided in sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC, subject to certain
conditions, including the condition that the person does not avail of specified exemptions and
deductions.
The above-mentioned new tax regime is the default tax regime applicable to all persons
mentioned above. However, under sub-section (6) of section 115BAC of the Act, a person
may exercise an option to opt out of this tax regime. A person not having income from
business or profession can exercise this option every year.
In order to avoid the genuine hardship in such cases, the Board, in exercise of powers
conferred under section 119 of the Act, hereby directs that a deductor, being an employer,
shall seek information from each of its employees having income under section 192 of the
Act regarding their intended tax regime and each such employee shall intimate the same to
the deductor, being his employer, regarding his intended tax regime for each year and upon
intimation, the deductor shall compute his total income, and deduct tax at source thereon
according to the option exercised.
If intimation is not made by the employee, it shall be presumed that the employee continues
to be in the default tax regime and has not exercised the option to opt out of the new tax
regime. Accordingly, in such a case, the employer shall deduct tax at source, on income under
section 192 of the Act, in accordance with the rates provided under sub-section (1A) of
section 115BAC of the Act. It is also clarified that the intimation would not amount to
exercising option in terms of sub-section (6) of section 115BAC of the Act and the person
shall be required to do so separately in accordance with the provisions of the sub-section.
Sec 16 Deductions
Standard Deduction under Sec 16(ia) Allowed Allowed
Tax on Employment under Sec 16(iii) Allowed Not Allowed
Notification No. 38/2020-Income Tax dated 26th June 2020- CBDT amended Rule 2BB
notifying that a salaried employee who opts for new Concessional Tax Regime can claim
following Exempt Allowances as under Section 10(14) of Income Tax Act, 1961:
1. Tour/Transfer Allowance
2. Daily Allowance when on Travel
3. Conveyance Allowance for Duties
4. Transport Allowance for Handicapped
Notification denies benefit of exemption to those who opted for new tax Regime in respect of
free food and nonalcoholic beverage which was earlier available even if value does not
exceed fifty rupees per meal or to tea or snacks provided during working hour.
Clause sub-clauses (a) to (c) of sub-rule (1) of Rule 2BB are as follows:
(a) any allowance granted to meet the cost of travel on tour or on transfer.
(b) any allowance, whether, granted on tour or for the period of journey in connection
with transfer, to meet the ordinary daily charges incurred by an employee on account
of absence from his normal place of duty.
(c) any allowance granted to meet the expenditure incurred on conveyance in
performance of duties of an office or employment of profit, provided that free
conveyance is not provided by the employer.
(d) any transport allowance granted to an employee, who is blind [or deaf and dumb] or
orthopedically handicapped with disability of lower extremities, to meet his
expenditure for the purpose of commuting between the place of his residence and the
place of his duty - Rs. 3,200 per month.
Extract of Revised clause (iii) of sub-rule (7) of Income Tax rule 3 related to Valuation
of perquisites:
No exemption for free food and non-alcoholic beverage provided by such employer through
paid voucher.
Rule 3 deals with valuation of perquisites. Rule 3(7)(iii) provides for valuation of perquisites
for free food and non-alcoholic beverages provided by the employer to an employee. The
value of such perquisite shall be the amount of expenditure incurred by such employer and
shall be reduced by the amount, if any, paid or recovered from the employee for such benefit
or amenity.
An exception is provided by way of a proviso to exclude the value of free food and non-
alcoholic beverages provided by such employer during working hours at office or business
premises or through paid vouchers which are not transferable and usable only at eating joints,
to the extent the value thereof in either case does not exceed Rs. 50 per meal or to tea or
snacks provided during working hours or to free food and non-alcoholic beverages during
working hours provided in a remote area or an offshore installation.
This exception is withdrawn in case the new tax regime is opted. Thus, free food and non-
alcoholic beverages provided by the employer even during working hours at office or
business premises shall be fully taxable in the hands of those employees who have opted for
the new tax regime.
Employer funded retirement schemes such as Employee Provident Fund, National Pension
Scheme, and Approved Superannuation Fund are currently nontaxable to the employee up to
12% for PF, 10% for NPS, INR 150,000/- per annum for SAF respectively.
The combined cap of INR 750000 per annum has been introduced in Budget 2020-21 in
respect of the Employer’s Contribution to these schemes and amount in excess of INR
750000 will be taxed as perquisite in the hands of the employees.
Any annual accretion by way of interest, dividend, or any other amount of similar nature
during the financial year to the balance at the credit of the fund or scheme may be treated as
perquisite to the extent it relates to the employer’s contribution which is included in total
income.
While the excess employer contribution above Rs. 7.5 lakhs p.a. is taxable u/s 17(2) (vii), the
annual accretion attributable to such excess contribution is taxable u/s 17(2) (viia). These
provisions are applicable from FY 2020-21 onwards.
The CBDT had notified a new Rule 3B (Rule) on 5th March 2021 with effect from 1st April
2020. The Rule prescribed a formulary approach for computing the value of annual accretion
on excess contributions. The Rule prescribes the following formula:
TP = (PC/2) *R + (PC1+TP1) *R
Where,
TP = taxable perquisite under Sec 17(2) (viia) for the current tax year
TP1 = Aggregate of taxable perquisite under Sec 17(2) (viia) for the tax year or years
commencing on or after 1 April 2020 other than the current tax year
R = I/ Favg
I = Amount or aggregate of amounts of income accrued during the current tax year in the
specified funds
Favg = (Amount or aggregate of amounts of balance to the credit of the specified funds on
the first day of the current tax year + Amount or aggregate of amounts of balance to the credit
of the specified funds on the last day of the current tax year)/2.
Taxability of Interest on Employee’s PF & VPF Contribution (applicable for both Old
& New Regime):
Any interest income accrued during the Financial Year shall be taxable to the extent it relates
to the amount or aggregate of amounts of contribution exceeding INR 2,50,000 made in a
Financial Year on or after 1st April 2021 and computed in such manner as may be prescribed.
The provision is applicable for employee’s contribution only. The employer’s contribution is
not covered in this provision.
The interest income earned on excess contribution will be taxable only in those cases where
the employees’ annual PF and VPF contribution exceeds Rs. 2.5 lakhs.
The interest income accruing in respect of the employee’s contribution over Rs. 2.5 lakhs
shall be taxable under the head ‘Income from Other Sources’ as it is not accruing from an
employer-employee relationship.
This amount of Rs. 4250 will be added to the employee’s taxable income as ‘Income from
Other Sources’ and taxed according to his tax slab. There are no special rates for the
taxability of this interest. Hence, such income shall be taxed at the prevailing income tax
rates.
The government had raised the threshold limit of tax-exempt contributions to the Provident
Fund (PF) to Rs 5 lakh (from Rs 2.5 lakh announced in Budget 2021), subject to certain
conditions. This increased tax-exempt limit is applicable to only those PF contributions where
there is no employer contribution.
To provide some more time to the taxpayers, the date for linking PAN and Aadhaar has been
extended to 30th June 2023, whereby persons can intimate their Aadhaar to the prescribed
authority for Aadhaar-PAN linking without facing repercussions.
Under the provisions of the Income Tax Act, 1961(the ‘Act’) every person who has been
allotted a PAN as on 1st July 2017 and is eligible to obtain Aadhaar Number, is required to
intimate his Aadhaar to the prescribed authority on or before 31st March 2023, on payment of
a prescribed fee of INR 1,000. Failure to do so shall attract certain repercussions under the
Act w.e.f. 1st April 2023. However, the date for intimating Aadhaar to the prescribed
authority for the purpose of linking PAN and Aadhaar has now been extended to 30th June
2023.
From 1st July 2023, the PAN of taxpayers who have failed to intimate their Aadhaar, as
required, shall become inoperative and the consequences during the period that PAN remains
inoperative will be as follows:
The PAN can be made operative again in 30 days, upon intimation of Aadhaar to the
prescribed authority after payment of fee of INR 1,000.
Those persons who have been exempted from PAN-Aadhaar linking will not be liable to the
consequences mentioned above. This category includes those residing in specified States, a
non-resident as per the Act, an individual who is not a citizen of India or individuals of the
age of eighty years or more at any time during the Financial Year.
[234H. Without prejudice to the provisions of this Act, where a person is required to intimate
his Aadhaar number under sub-section (2) of section 139AA and such person fails to do so on
or before such date, as may be prescribed, he shall be liable to pay such fee, as may be
prescribed, not exceeding one thousand rupees, at the time of making intimation under sub-
section (2) of section 139AA after the said date.]
[114AAA. Where a person, whose permanent account number has become inoperative under
sub-rule (1), is required to furnish, intimate or quote his permanent account number under
the Act, it shall be deemed that he has not furnished, intimated or quoted the permanent
account number, as the case may be, in accordance with the provisions of the Act, and he
shall be liable for all the consequences under the Act for not furnishing, intimating or quoting
the permanent account number.]
It is mandatory to link one’s PAN with Aadhaar card as it helps the Government to track all
the financial transactions undertaken by the taxpayers in India. It also helps the Government
to keep a check on tax evasion. As PAN and Aadhaar are both identity proofs of an
individual, linking these two prevents an individual from holding multiple PAN’s and avoid
tax and other related frauds.
• A valid PAN
It is mandatory to quote and linked Aadhaar number while filing income tax return unless
specifically exempted. CBDT has notified that Section 139AA of the Income Tax Act is not
applicable to the following individuals. In other words, Aadhaar-PAN linking is presently
exempted for the individual who is:
2. What will happen if my PAN is not linked to Aadhaar after the due date?
The last date of linking PAN to Aadhaar is 30th June 2023. Failure to do the same will make
your PAN invalid. You will be able to activate the PAN only after linking it to Aadhaar.
Yes, it is advisable that you apply for an Aadhaar card and have it linked with your PAN.
Aadhar is now necessary to avail most government benefits and so it is advisable to apply for
it and get it linked with PAN to ensure that your PAN is valid.
The requirement to quote Aadhaar for filing income tax returns and for making an application
for allotment of PAN with effect from July 1, 2017, does not apply to nonresident Indians
[NRIs].
No, it is not necessary to have an account with the department website. There is a direct link
that is available which you can use to link your PAN and Aadhaar Card.
8. Do I have to submit any documentary proof to link my PAN and Aadhaar card?
No, you are not required to submit any documents when linking your Aadhaar to your PAN
card. You must check if the PAN information mentioned on the website matches your
Aadhaar card and then apply for them to be linked.
9. What are the details I must check when linking my PAN with my Aadhaar card?
When linking your PAN with your Aadhaar card, you must make sure that your name, date of
birth and gender as displayed on the income tax website matches with the details on your
Aadhaar card.
10. What will be the consequences if I do not link Aadhaar with PAN?
If you do not link your Aadhaar with PAN till 30th June 2023, your PAN will become
inoperative. If PAN becomes inoperative, you will not be able to furnish, intimate or quote
your PAN and would be liable to all the consequences under the Act for such failure.
• You shall not be able to file return using the inoperative PAN
• Pending returns will not be processed
• Pending refunds cannot be issued to inoperative PANs
11. What are the consequences of PAN becoming inoperative as per the Rule
114AAA?
Consequences of PAN becoming inoperative on not linking with Aadhaar as per the newly
substituted Rule 114AAA:
(i) Consequent to the notification substituting Rule 114AAA of the Income Tax Rules, 1962
(the Rules) vide notification no. 15 of 2023 dated 28th March 2023, it is hereby clarified that
a person who has failed to intimate the Aadhaar number in accordance with section 139AA of
the Income Tax Act, 1961 (the Act) read with Rule 114AAA shall face the following
consequences because of his PAN becoming inoperative:
a) Refund of any amount of tax or part thereof, due under the provisions of the Act shall
not be made to him.
b) Interest shall not be payable to him on such refund for the period, beginning with the
date specified under sub-rule (4) of Rule 114AAA and ending with the date on which
it becomes operative.
c) Where tax is deductible under Chapter XVJJ-B in case of such person, such tax shall
be deducted at higher rate, in accordance with the provisions of Section 206AA.
d) Where tax is collectible at source under Chapter XVJJ-BB in case of such person,
such tax shall be collected at higher rate, in accordance with the provisions of Section
206CC.
(ii) These consequences shall take effect from 1st July 2023 and continue till the PAN
becomes operative. A fee of INR 1,000 will continue to apply to make the PAN operative by
intimating the Aadhaar number.
(iii) The consequences of PAN becoming inoperative shall not be applicable to those persons
who have been provided exemption from intimating Aadhaar number under the provisions of
sub-section (3) of Section 139AA of the Act.
Deductions under Section 80E cover 100% of the interest paid on education loans for higher education, which includes all fields of study pursued post-secondary education. It's available for 8 years or until the interest is repaid, whichever is earlier .
If an employee uses an asset owned by the employer, the perquisite is charged at the rate of 10% of the original cost of the asset, reduced by any charges recovered from the employee. Computers and laptops are excluded from this perquisite .
Section 80G provides deductions for donations to approved charitable institutions but does not allow deductions directly from salary for charitable purposes. However, donations to certain government relief funds through employers are eligible for Section 80G deductions, supported by a certificate from the employer .
The prescribed interest rate is the rate charged by the State Bank of India as on the 1st day of the relevant financial year .
Section 80DDB allows for deductions up to Rs. 40,000 for medical treatment of specified illnesses for the taxpayer or dependent. If the taxpayer or dependent is a senior citizen, the deduction increases to Rs. 100,000, reduced by any insurance or employer reimbursement .
Section 80EEA provides an additional deduction of up to Rs. 1,50,000 for interest payments on loans taken between April 1, 2019, and March 31, 2022, for a house property valued up to Rs. 45 lakh, provided the individual does not own any other house at the loan sanctioning. Combined with the Section 24 deduction, the total available deduction can reach Rs. 3.5 lakh .
Senior citizens can claim deductions up to Rs. 50,000 on interest from deposits under Section 80TTB, whereas Section 80TTA allows Rs. 10,000 deductions from savings account interest for regular taxpayers. Section 80TTA does not apply if Section 80TTB is claimed .
For self-occupied properties acquired after April 1999 using borrowed capital, the deduction limit for interest is Rs. 200,000. However, if two self-occupied properties are claimed, the combined aggregate limit remains Rs. 200,000, not exceeding this overall limit .
Besides incurring higher TDS rates, an inoperative PAN means the taxpayer cannot file returns, process pending returns, claim refunds, or legally quote PAN. This affects tax compliance and complicates financial transactions .
Failure to link PAN with Aadhaar by the due date will render the PAN inoperative, preventing the taxpayer from filing returns, processing pending returns, receiving refunds, and may lead to TDS/TCS being deducted at a higher rate. It will also complicate interactions with financial institutions .