Income Tax Slabs
In the Union Budget 2020, the Finance Minister of India has announced a new income tax slab. However, the new income tax regime is optional, and individuals can either opt for the new regime or file their taxes as per the old regime.
Income Tax slab under New tax regime for FY 2020-21 & AY 2021-22
- Income Tax SlabTax RateUp to Rs.2,50,000 Nil
- From Rs.2,50,001 to Rs.5,00,000 5%
- From Rs.5,00,001 to Rs.7,50,000 10%
- From Rs.7,50,001 to Rs.10,00,000 15%
- From Rs.10,00,001 to Rs.12,50,000 20%
- From Rs.12,50,001 to Rs.15,00,000 25%
- Income above Rs.15,00,001 300
Note: New income tax rates are optional
Existing Income Tax Slabs for FY 2020-21 (Alternative)
The income earned individuals will determine the income tax slabs under which they fall. The lower the income, the lower the tax liability, and those who earn less than Rs.2.5 lakh p.a. are exempt from tax.
Depending on the age of the individual, the three categories that resident individual taxpayers are divided into are mentioned below
Individuals who are less than the age of 60 years old.
Senior citizens who are above 60 years old and below 80 years of age.
Super senior citizens who are above 80 years old.
Here is the income tax slab for individuals who are less than 60 years old:
- Income Tax SlabTax RateUp to Rs.2,50,000 Nil
- From Rs.2,50,001 to Rs.5,00,000 5% of the amount exceeding Rs.2.5 lakh
- From Rs.5,00,001 to Rs.10,00,000 Rs.12,500 + 20% of the amount exceeding Rs.5 lakh
- More than Rs.10,00,000 Rs.1,12,500 + 30% of the amount exceeding Rs.10 lakh
*An additional cess of 4% will be applicable to the tax amount calculated above.
Income Tax Return
Here is all you need to know about how to file ITR online. Before you file your taxes, you will need your Form 16, provided by your employer, and any proof of investment. Using that you can compute the tax payable and refunds, if any, for the year. You can download the IT preparation software from the IT department’s website. Once you have all the documents ready, you can start the Income tax return filing process.
e Filing Income Tax in India
e-Filing Income Tax Return, TDS return, AIR return, and Wealth Tax Return can be completed online on https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in. E-filing your return has obvious advantages like the fact that you won’t have to deal with the hassle of paperwork and waste time sorting through it all. You can simply log on to the secure website and e-file your return.
This government website also has provisions for you to submit returns, view form 26AS, outstanding tax demand, CPC refund status, rectification status, ITR – V receipt status, online application tools for PAN and TAN, e-pay your tax and even has a tax calculator.
Income tax calculation
Income tax calculation can be done either manually or by using an online income tax calculator. The amount of tax that must be paid will depend on the tax slab under which you fall. For salaried employees, income from salary includes the basic pay, House Rent Allowance (HRA), Transport Allowance, Special Allowance and any other allowances. However, certain components of your salary are tax-exempt, like Leave Travel Allowance (LTA), reimbursement of telephone bills, etc. In case HRA is part of your salary and you reside in a rented house, you are eligible to claim exemption. Apart from these exemptions, there is a standard deduction of up to Rs.50,000
You can also consider the following options for reducing tax amount on your income.
Fixed Deposits (FD) - An FD with a lock-in period of five years can help you save on tax while earning the interest on the deposited amount.
National Saving Certificate (NSC) - The NSC offers a safe and reliable method of investing money. You can deposit as low as Rs.100 for a 5-10 year lock-in period. The investments made under NSC are eligible for tax deductions.
Provident Fund (PF) - You can also choose to invest more amount towards your PF account that will help you reduce your taxable amount.
Income Tax Deduction Section
Deductions for your taxable amount are available under various sections of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Deductions will have to be mentioned in the relevant ITR form at the time of e-filing income tax returns.
Deductions under this section are only available to individuals and HUF. This section allows for certain investments like NSC, etc. and expenditures to be exempt from taxation up to the amount of Rs.1.5 lakh
Deductions under this section are on payments made to LIC or any other approved insurance company under an approved pension plan. The pension policy must be up to Rs.1.5 lakh and be taken for the individual himself out of the taxable income.
Deductions under this section are for contributions to the New Pension Scheme by the assessee and the employer. The deduction is equal to the contribution, not exceeding 10% of his salary.
The total deduction available under Section 80C, 80CCC and 80CCD is Rs.1.5 lakh. However, contributions to the Notified Pension Scheme under Section 80CCD are not considered in the Rs.1.5 lakh limit.
This is the section that deals with income tax deductions on health insurance premiums paid. In the case of individuals, the insurance policy can be taken to cover himself, spouse, dependent children – for up to Rs.15,000 and parents (whether dependent or not) – for up to Rs.15,000. An additional deduction of Rs.5,000 is applicable if the insured is a senior citizen. In the case of HUF, any member can be insured, and the general deduction will be for up to Rs.15,000 and an additional deduction of Rs.5,000.
A total of Rs.2.0 lakh can be claimed as deductions whether the assessee is an individual or a HUF.
This section is for deductions on medical expenses that arise for treatment of a disease or ailment as specified in the rules (11DD) for the assessee, a family member or any member of a HUF.
This section deals with the deductions that are applicable on the interest paid on education loans for an education in India.
This section deals with tax savings applicable to first time home-owners. Applies for individuals whose first home purchased has a value less than Rs.40 lakh and the loan taken for which is Rs.25 lakh or less.
Deductions with respect to income by way of royalties or patents can be claimed under this section. Income tax can be saved on an amount up to Rs.3.0 lakh for patents registered under the Patents Act, 1970.
This section deals with the tax savings that are applicable on interest earned in savings bank accounts, post office or co-operative societies. Individuals and HUFs can claim a deduction on an interest income of up to Rs.10,000.
This section deals with the flat deduction on income tax that applies to disabled people, when they produce their disability certificate. Up to Rs.1.0 lakh can be non-taxed, depending on the severity of the disability.
This section deals with the interest paid on housing loans that is exempt from taxation. An amount of up to Rs.2.0 lakh can be claimed as deductions per year, and is in addition to the deductions under Sections 80C, 80CCF and 80D. This is only for self-occupied properties. Properties that have been rented out, 30% of rent received and municipal taxes paid are eligible for tax exemption.
FAQs on Income Tax
1. Who is required to pay income tax?
Any individual or artificial body or group of individuals that earn more than the basic exemption limit are expected to pay income tax.
2. Why is income tax collected?
Income tax is collected by the government for a host of reasons which include paying off the salaries of the state and central government employees and meeting infrastructural expenses. The income tax collected by the government acts as a source of income based on which the development of the nation is taken care of.
3. What type of tax is income tax?
Income tax is a direct tax. That is, income tax is a tax that is paid by the liable entity directly to the entity which imposes the tax. In the case of income tax, the imposing party is the government while the liable party is the one who is drawing an income against which the tax liability arises.
4. Where should I invest to save income tax?
There are various instruments in which you can invest to save tax. Some of the most common options available to you include PPF, National Savings Certificate, National Pension System, ELSS schemes, etc.
5. Do you have to pay taxes if you earn income in cash?
Yes, income tax is charged even on income which is earned in cash. However, if the cash credit is unexplained, the tax is charged at a flat rate of 60% and no other tax benefits in terms of exemption are applicable. On top of that, there is a surcharge of 25% along with which a penalty of 6% is charged.
6. How much is tax free income in India?
There are two different tax regimes which are currently used in India to file income tax returns. However, the tax-free income is the same on the basis of both the old regime and the new regime. In both cases, annual income of up to Rs.2.5 lakh is tax free.
7. Is the due date for filing income tax returns the same for all taxpayers?
All individuals and assessees who do not require their accounts to be audited will have to file their income tax returns by July 31. However, companies, individuals and working partners of firms whose accounts must be audited are required to file their income tax returns by September 30. Assessees who are required to submit a report under Section 92E of the Income Tax Act must file their returns by November 30.
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