195.(1) Any person responsible for paying to a non-resident, not being a company, or to a foreign company, any interest (not being interest referred to in section 194LB or section 194LC) or section 194LD or any other sum chargeable under the provisions of this Act (not being income chargeable under the head "Salaries") shall, at the time of credit of such income to the account of the payee or at the time of payment thereof in cash or by the issue of a cheque or draft or by any other mode, whichever is earlier, deduct income-tax thereon at the rates in force :
Provided that in the case of interest payable by the Government or a public sector bank within the meaning of clause (23D) of section 10 or a public financial institution within the meaning of that clause, deduction of tax shall be made only at the time of payment thereof in cash or by the issue of a cheque or draft or by any other mode.
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Explanation 1.- For the purposes of this section, where any interest or other sum as aforesaid is credited to any account, whether called "Interest payable account" or "Suspense account" or by any other name, in the books of account of the person liable to pay such income, such crediting shall be deemed to be credit of such income to the account of the payee and the provisions of this section shall apply accordingly.
Explanation 2. - For the removal of doubts, it is hereby clarified that the obligation to comply with sub-section (1) and to make deduction thereunder applies and shall be deemed to have always applied and extends and shall be deemed to have always extended to all persons, resident or non-resident, whether or not the non-resident person has-
- a residence or place of business or business connection in India; or
- any other presence in any manner whatsoever in India
(2) Where the person responsible for paying any such sum chargeable under this Act (other than salary) to a non-resident considers that the whole of such sum would not be income chargeable in the case of the recipient, he may make an application 71[in such form and manner to the Assessing Officer, to determine in such manner, as may be prescribed], the appropriate proportion of such sum so chargeable, and upon such determination, tax shall be deducted under sub-section (1) only on that proportion of the sum which is so chargeable.
(3) Subject to rules made under sub-section (5), any person entitled to receive any interest or other sum on which income-tax has to be deducted under sub-section (1) may make an application in the prescribed form to the Assessing Officer for the grant of a certificate authorising him to receive such interest or other sum without deduction of tax under that sub-section, and where any such certificate is granted, every person responsible for paying such interest or other sum to the person to whom such certificate is granted shall, so long as the certificate is in force, make payment of such interest or other sum without deducting tax thereon under sub-section (1).
(4) A certificate granted under sub-section (3) shall remain in force till the expiry of the period specified therein or, if it is cancelled by the Assessing Officer before the expiry of such period, till such cancellation.
(5) The Board may, having regard to the convenience of assessees and the interests of revenue, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules specifying the cases in which, and the circumstances under which, an application may be made for the grant of a certificate under sub-section (3) and the conditions subject to which such certificate may be granted and providing for all other matters connected therewith.
(6) The person responsible for paying to a non-resident, not being a company, or to a foreign company, any sum, whether or not chargeable under the provisions of this Act, shall furnish the information relating to payment of such sum, in such form and manner, as may be prescribed.
(7) Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (1) and sub-section (2), the Board may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify a class of persons or cases, where the person responsible for paying to a non-resident, not being a company, or to a foreign company, any sum, whether or not chargeable under the provisions of this Act, shall make an application [in such form and manner to the Assessing Officer, to determine in such manner, as may be prescribed], the appropriate proportion of sum chargeable, and upon such determination, tax shall be deducted under sub-section (1) on that proportion of the sum which is so chargeable.
1) Who is responsible to deduct tax u/s 195?
Any person responsible for paying to a non-resident, not being a company, or to a foreign company, shall deduct income-tax thereon at the rates in force.
2) Nature of Payment
- Any interest (not being interest referred to in section 194LB, 194LC and 194LD)
- Any other sum chargeable under the provision of this Act (not being income chargeable under the head "Salaries")
3) When to Deduct TDS under Section 195?
At the time of credit of such income to the account of payee or at the time of payment, whichever is earlier.
For this purpose credit to "Interest payable account" or "Suspense account" or any other name shall be deemed to be a credit of such income to the account of the payee.
For this purpose, "payment" can be in cash or by issue of a cheque or draft of by any other mode.
If interest is payable by the Government or a public sector bank or a public financial institution, then tax deduction shall be made only at the time of payment thereof in cash or by cheque or draft or any other mode.
Second Provisio to Section 195(1) exempting TDS on dividend referred to in Section 115-O has been deleted.[Finance Act 2020]
4) Threshold limit
No threshold limit. However, tax shall be deducted on sum chargeable to tax. Therefore, if no sum is chargeable to tax in India, then no tax is required to be deducted.
5) Other sums under Section 195
- Applicability: TDS to be deducted on any sum chargeable under the provisions of Income Tax Act, 1961 not being income chargeable under the head ‗Salaries‘. (E.g. Payments such as interest, royalty, fees for technical services are liable for tax deduction u/s. 195 of the Act)
- Payer: Any person (both Resident and Non-resident)
- Payee: Non-residents / Foreign Company
- Threshold limit: NIL i.e. No Threshold limit.
- No TDS u/s. 195 on payment of Income chargeable under the head "Salaries" or payments covered u/s. 194LB or 194LC or
- TDS to be deducted at the time of payment or credit, whichever is earlier.
6) Income Deemed to Accrue or Arise In India
- As per the provisions of Section 5(2)(b) of the Act, the total income of a non-resident also includes all income that accrues or arises or is deemed to accrue or arise in India to the non-resident.
- To check whether the income of the non-resident is deemed to accrue or arise in India–We have to refer Section 9.
- If the income is deemed to accrue or arise in India, then the payer is liable to withhold taxes in india.
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