Direct Tax Proposals of Union Budget 2023-24

DIRECT TAXES

A. RATES OF INCOME-TAX

I. Rates of income-tax in respect of income liable to tax for the assessment year 2023-24.

In respect of income of all categories of assessee liable to tax for the assessment year 2023-24, the rates of income-tax have either been specified in specific sections of the Act (like section 115BAA or section 115BAB for domestic companies, 115BAC for individual/HUF and 115BAD for cooperative societies) or have been specified in Part I of the First Schedule to the Bill. There is no change proposed in tax rates either in these specific sections or in the First Schedule. The rates provided in sections 115BAA or 115BAB or 115BAC or 115BAD of the Act for the assessment year 2023-24 would be same as already enacted. Similarly, rates laid down in Part III of the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 2022, for the purposes of computation of “advance tax”, deduction of tax at source from “Salaries” and charging of tax payable in certain cases for the assessment year 2023-24 would now become part I of the first schedule. Part III would now apply for the assessment year 2024-25.

(1) Tax rates under section 115BAC - 

On satisfaction of certain conditions, as per the provisions of section 115BAC of the Act, an individual or HUF, from assessment year 2021-22 to assessment year 2023-24, has the option to pay tax in respect of the total income at following rates:

2. With effect from assessment year 2024-25, it is proposed that the following rates provided under the proposed sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC of the Act shall be the rates applicable for determining the income-tax payable in respect of the total income of a person, being 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 referred to in sub-clause (vii) of clause (31) of section 2:–

3. The above-mentioned rates shall apply to all individual or Hindu undivided family or association of persons [other than a co-operative society], or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, or an artificial juridical person referred to in sub-clause (vii) of clause (31) of section 2, unless an option is exercised under proposed sub-section (6) of section 115BAC.

Thus, rates given in sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC of the Act are the default rates. Further, the income-tax payable in respect of the total income of the person [other than a person who has exercised an option under sub-section (6) of section 115BAC], shall be computed without allowing for any exemption or deduction as provided under clause (i) of subsection (2) of section 115BAC of the Act. However, standard deduction as provided under clause (ia) of section 16 of the Act, deduction in respect of income in the nature of family pension as provided under clause (iia) of section 57 of the Act and deduction in respect of the amount paid or deposited in the Agniveer Corpus Fund as proposed to be provided under subsection (2) section 80CCH of the Act, shall be allowed for the purposes of computing the income chargeable to tax under sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC.

4. If an option is exercised under sub-section (6) of section 115BAC, then nothing
contained in sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC shall apply in respect of such person. The option is required to be exercised, -

(i) on or before the due date specified under sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act for furnishing the return of income for such assessment year, in case of a person having income from business or profession, and such option once exercised shall apply to subsequent assessment years; or

(ii) along with the return of income to be furnished under sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act for such assessment year, in case of a person not having income referred to in clause (i) 

5. A person having income from business or profession who has exercised the above option of shifting out of the regime provided under the proposed sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC shall be able to exercise the option of opting back to the regime under proposed subsection (1A) of section 115BAC only once. However, a person not having income from business or profession shall be able to exercise this option every year.

6. In respect of income chargeable to tax under sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC of the Act, the "advance tax" for FY 2023-24 shall be increased by a surcharge, for the purposes of the Union, computed, in the case of every individual or Hindu undivided family or association of persons, or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, or every artificial juridical person referred to in sub-clause (vii) of clause (31) of section 2 of the Act,-

(i) having a total income (including the income by way of dividend or income under the provisions of section 111A, section 112 and section 112A of the Act) exceeding fifty lakh rupees but not exceeding one crore rupees, at the rate of 10% of such “advance-tax”;

(ii) having a total income (including the income by way of dividend or income under the provisions of section 111A, section 112 and section 112A of the Act) exceeding one crore rupees but not exceeding two crore rupees, at the rate of 15% of such “advance-tax”; and

(iii) having a total income (excluding the income by way of dividend or income under the provisions of section 111A, section 112 and section 112A of the Act) exceeding two crore rupees, at the rate of 25% of such “advance-tax”;

(iv) having a total income (including the income by way of dividend or income under the provisions of section 111A, section 112 and section 112A of the Act) exceeding two crore rupees, but is not covered under clause (iii) above, at the rate of fifteen per cent. of such “advance-tax”;

6.1 In case where the provisions of sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC are applicable and the total income includes any income by way of dividend or income under the provisions of section 111A, section 112 and section 112A of the Act, the rate of surcharge on the “advancetax” in respect of that part of income shall not exceed fifteen per cent.

6.2 Further, in the case of an association of persons consisting of only companies as its members, and having its income chargeable to tax under sub-section (1A) of section 115BAC, the rate of surcharge on the “advance-tax” shall not exceed fifteen per cent.

7. Marginal relief shall be provided in such cases.

(2) Tax rate under section 115BAD and section 115BAE of the Act-

A co-operative society resident in India has the option to pay tax at 22% for assessment year 2021-22 onwards as per the provisions of section 115BAD of the Act, subject to fulfilment of certain conditions.

2. Under proposed new section 115BAE of the Act, a new manufacturing co-operative society set up on or after 01.04.2023, which commences manufacturing or production on or before 31.03.2024 and does not avail of any specified incentive or deductions, may opt to pay tax at a concessional rate of 15% for assessment year 2024-25 onwards. Surcharge would be at 10% on such tax.

(3) Tax rates under Part I of the first schedule applicable for the assessment year 2023-24

A. Individual, HUF, association of persons, body of individuals, artificial juridical person.

Paragraph A of Part-I of First Schedule to the Bill provides following rates of incometax:-

(i) The rates of income-tax in the case of every individual (other than those mentioned in (ii) and (iii) below) or HUF or every association of persons or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, or every artificial juridical person referred to in sub-clause (vii) of clause (31) of section 2 of the Act (not being a case to which any other Paragraph of Part III applies) are as under:—

Up to Rs. 2,50,000                     Nil.
Rs. 2,50,001 to Rs.5,00,000      5%
Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs.10,00,000    20%
Above Rs. 10,00,000                 30%

(ii) In the case of every individual, being a resident in India, who is of the age of sixty years or more but less than eighty years at any time during the previous year,—

Up to Rs. 3,00,000                   Nil.
Rs. 3,00,001 to Rs.5,00,000    5%
Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs.10,00,000  20%
Above Rs. 10,00,000               30%

(iii) in the case of every individual, being a resident in India, who is of the age of eighty years or more at any time during the previous year,—

Up to Rs.5,00,000                    Nil.
Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs.10,00,000  20%
Above Rs 10,00,000                30%

B. Co-operative Societies

In the case of co-operative societies, the rates of income-tax have been specified in Paragraph B of Part I of the First Schedule to the Bill. They remain unchanged at (10% up to Rs 10,000; 20% between Rs 10,000 and Rs 20,000; and 30% in excess of Rs 30,000).

C. Firms

In the case of firms, the rate of income-tax has been specified in Paragraph C of Part I of the First Schedule to the Bill. They remain unchanged at 30%

D. Local authorities

The rate of income-tax in the case of every local authority has been specified in Paragraph D of Part I of the First Schedule to the Bill. They remain unchanged at 30%.

E. Companies

The rates of income-tax in the case of companies have been specified in Paragraph E of Part I of the First Schedule to the Bill. In case of domestic company, the rate of incometax shall be 25% of the total income, if the total turnover or gross receipts of the previous year 2020-21 does not exceed four hundred crore rupees and in all other cases the rate of Income-tax shall be 30% of the total income.