Nilesh Shah Replies:
nilesh63 @ vsnl.com
It appears that the employer has not contributed to the family of the bereaved . Poor fellow . It seems this incident is the recent tragedy that happened in a high rise office complex in Bangalore. Be that as it may.
The amount contributed by fellow employees is a gratutious act on their part. It is neither income in the hands of the deceased employee nor the income of his legal representative. One of the test of income is enforceability. Either the deceased employee or his legal representative should have a legal enforeable right to claim the money. Which is presently not the case. There is therefore no question of deducting TDS. The fellow employees cannot claim the amount as deduction from the taxes to be paid by them.
Assuming that certain amount has been paid by the employer to the bereaved family, let us examine its taxability.
A lump sum payment made gratutiously or by way of compensation or otherwise to the widow or other legal heirs of an employee, who dies while still in active service, is not taxable. Circular No 573 dated 21st August, 1990.
Likewise, if a person or his legal heirs receive ex gratia payment from Central Government, State Government, local authority, public sector undertaking, consequent upon injury to the person/death of a family member, while on duty, the ex gratia payment will not be liable to income tax- Circular issued by CBDT No 776 dated 8th June,1999.
We need to improve the quality of the reply. It cannot depend on my view or their view. Reply is not a figment of imagination.
Sincerely,
Nilesh Shah