The Union Budget of 2012 was unveiled by the Finance Minister in February this year. A mixed bag of reforms and recommendations, the budget on one side has brought about cheer to many, whereas to sure others it has not gone down too well.
Significant tax reforms have been proposed, effective April 1, 2012. New Tax slabs and raised exemption levels are some of the proposed changes. Here is a quick roundup of the key tax reforms and their impact on taxpayers.
Highlights of Income Tax Reforms
Though the Direct Tax Code could not be implemented this year, the new tax regime is definitely a positive step towards the implementation of DTC.
Changes in General Category
Unlike the previous years when there was a separate category for men and women, all taxpayers now would come under a single class- the “General” category.
General Category (Men & Women)-Effective April 1, 2012
Increase in Basic Exemption
The budget brings relief for the salaried. The basic exemption limit has been raised from the previous Rs.1.8 lakhs to Rs. 2 lakhs. With this marginal increase in individual limits, you could expect to save a bit more on your income.
General Category (Men & Women)-Effective April 1, 2012
| Income Bracket | Tax Slab |
| Up to Rs.2,00,000 | Nil |
| Rs. 2,00,000 to Rs.5,00,000 | 10% |
| Rs.5,00,001 to Rs.10,00,000 | 20% |
| Rs.10,00,001 and above | 30% |
The benefit to Highest Slab Tax Payers
With the move from 30% to 20% under the new income tax slab, persons with income up to Rs 10 lakh per annum will save about Rs 1,030, and those earning more than Rs 10 lakh would have a tax liability coming down by up to Rs 20,599.
Relief to Senior Citizens
Though there haven’t been changes in the exemption limits for senior citizens (above 60 years) and very senior citizens (above 80 years), the relief comes in paying advance tax.
Senior Citizens (60 years and above)
| Income Bracket | Tax Slab |
| Up to Rs.2,50,000 | Nil |
| Rs. 2,50,000 to Rs.5,00,000 | 10% |
| Rs.5,00,001 to Rs.10,00,000 | 20% |
| Rs.10,00,001 and above | 30% |
Senior Citizens will be relieved of the burden of paying Advance Tax for any income under the head ‘Profits and gains of business or profession’ and such senior citizens shall be allowed to discharge their tax liability (other than TDS) by payment of self-assessment tax.
| Income Bracket | Tax Slab |
| Up to Rs.5,00,000 | Nil |
| Rs. 500,001 to Rs.10,00,000 | 20% |
| Rs.10,00,001 and above | 30% |
Interest from Bank Accounts
A new income tax deduction has been introduced under Section 80TTA. This section allows a deduction of up to Rs.10,000 on interest earned from savings bank accounts. So the money that you accumulate in your savings accounts henceforth could fetch you much more.
Exemption on Health Checkup
Extending the benefits under section 80D, a deduction of Rs.5,000 has been proposed for expenses incurred on preventive health checkups of self, spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents. You could now use your regular health checkups for a tax benefit.
The Rajiv Gandhi Equity Scheme
The Rajiv Gandhi Equity Scheme is aimed to promote equity investing. Investors with an annual income of less than Rs. 10 lakh can invest in it, to avail of a deduction of 50% on the equity investment. Investing through this scheme has a lock-in period of 3 years. Up to, a maximum of Rs.50,000 could be invested under the scheme. For example, suppose you invest Rs. 50,000 in this scheme. A deduction of Rs 25,000 could be claimed.
Changes in Life insurance
All regular premium life insurance policies must have a basic sum assured of at least 10 times the annual premium of the policy, to be eligible for a tax exemption under section 80C and section 10(10)D.
Other Key Budgetary Proposals
- Tax Payers with foreign bank accounts or properties would have to furnish all details of their foreign assets, and peak balance during the year, after converting the value of the foreign currency into the Indian rupee. In this regard, the ITR form has already been modified with a new column that would detail all foreign assets. Taxpayers would have to furnish this in their return for the assessment year 2012-13.
- Service Tax has been hiked from 10% to 12%, making services such as telephone calls, restaurants, beauty parlors, insurance, and air travel more expensive.
- The Securities Transaction Tax (STT) has been reduced to 0.1% from 0.125%.
