Translate

Showing posts with label Country news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Country news. Show all posts

Monday, June 6, 2011

POL KHOL of RAHUL GANDHI & SONIA GANDHI!!! MUST READ

THE CURIOUS CASE OF RAHUL GANDHI

Rahul Gandhi: "I feel ashamed to call myself an INDIAN after seeing what has happened here in UP".

PLEASE DON'T BE ASHAMED OF U.P. YET

Please don't be ashamed of Uttar Pradesh yet. Congress ruled the State for the Majority of the duration Pre Independence to Post Independence.. from 1939 to 1989 ( barring the Periods of Emergency.. Thanks to your Grand Mom Indira G. and a couple of transitional Governments)

8 out of the total 14 Prime Ministers of India have been from UP, 6 out of those 8 have been from Congress...

I think your party had more than half a century and half a Dozen PM's to build a State...

The Reason Mulayam Singh, subsequently came to Power is because your party wasn't exactly Gandhian in their dealings in the State.. So May be If you look at in totality the present chaos in UP is the outcome of the glorious leadership displayed by Congress in UP for about 50 years!

So Please don't feel ashamed as yet Dear Rahul.. For Mayawati is only using the Land Acquisition Bill which your party had itself used to LOOT the Farmers many times in the Past! 

WHY DIDN'T YOUR PARTY CHANGE THE BILL WHEN IT WAS IN POWER FOR SO LONG? 
Not that I Endorse what Mayawati is doing.. What Mayawati is doing is Unacceptable..

But the past actions of your party and your recent comments, puts a question mark on your INTENT and CONSISTENCY. 


YOU REALLY WANT TO FEEL ASHAMED

But don't be disappointed, I would give you ample reasons to feel ashamed... 

You really want to feel Ashamed..?

First Ask Pranav Mukherjee, Why isn't he giving the details of the account holders in the Swiss Banks.

Ask your Mother, Who is impeding the Investigation against Hasan Ali?

Ask her, Who got 60% Kickbacks in the 2G Scam ?

Kalamdi is accused of a Few hundred Crores, Who Pocketed the Rest in the Common Wealth Games? 

Ask Praful Patel what he did to the Indian Airlines? Why did Air India let go of the Profitable Routes ? 

Why should the Tax Payer pay for the Air India losses, when you intend to eventually DIVEST IT ANYWAY!!!

Also, You People can't run an Airline Properly. How can we expect you to run the Nation?

Ask Manmohan Singh. Why/What kept him quiet for so long?

Are Kalmadi and A Raja are Scapegoats to save Big Names like Harshad Mehta was in the 1992 Stock Market Scandal ?

Who let the BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY Accused go Scot Free? ( 20,000 People died in that Tragedy)

Who ordered the State Sponsored Massacre of SIKHS in 84?

Please read more about, How Indira Gandhi pushed the Nation Under Emergency in 76-77, after the HC declared her election to Lok Sabha Void!

(I bet She had utmost respect for DEMOCRACY and JUDICIARY and FREE PRESS)

I guess you know the answers already. So My question is, Why the Double Standards in Judging Mayawati and members of your Family and Party?

I condemn Mayawati. But Is She the only one you feel Ashamed for?

What about the ones close to you? For their contribution to the Nation's Misery is beyond comparison.

You talk about the Land being taken away from the Farmers. How many Suicides have happened under your Parties Rule in Vidarbha ? Does that Not Ashame You ?


THE 72,000 CRORE LOAN WAIVER

Your Party gave those Farmers a 72,000 Crore Loan Waiver. Which didn't even reach the Farmers by the way.

So, Why don't you focus on implementing the policies which your govt. has undertaken, instead of earning brownie points by trying to manufacture consent by bombarding us with pictures of having food with Poor Villagers....

You want to feel ashamed. You can feel ashamed for your Party taking CREDIT for DEBITING the Public Money (72,000 crores) from the Government Coffers and literally Wasting it...


You want to feel ashamed.. Feel ashamed for that...


WHY ONLY HIGHLIGHT THIS ARREST?

Dear Rahul, to refresh your memory, you were arrested/detained by the FBI the BOSTON Airport in September 2001.

You were carrying with you $ 1,60,000 in Cash. You couldn't explain why you were carrying so much Cash.
Incidentally He was with his Columbian girlfriend Veronique Cartelli, ALLEGEDLY, the Daughter of Drug Mafia.

9 HOURS he was kept at the Airport. 

Later then freed on the intervention of the then Prime Minister Mr.Vajpayee.. FBI filed an equivalent of an FIR in US and released him. 

When FBI was asked to divulge the information, by Right/Freedom to Information Activists about the reasons Rahul was arrested ... FBI asked for a NO OBJECTION CERTIFICATE from Rahul Gandhi. 

So Subramaniyam Swami wrote a Letter to Rahul Gandhi, " If you have NOTHING to HIDE, Give us the Permission" 

HE NEVER REPLIED! 

Why did that arrest not make Headlines Rahul? You could have gone to the Media and told, "I am ashamed to call myself an INDIAN?". 

Or is it that, you only do like to highlight Symbolic Arrests (like in UP) and not Actual Arrests ( In BOSTON) 


Kindly Clarify.....

In any case, you want to feel ashamed, Read Along... 


YOUR MOTHER'S SO CALLED SACRIFICE OF GIVING UP PRIME MINISTER SHIP in 2004.

According to a Provision in the Citizenship Act.

A Foreign National who becomes a Citizen of India, is bounded by the same restrictions, which an Indian would face, If he/she were to become a Citizen of Italy. 

(Condition based on principle of reciprocity)

[READ ANNEXURE- 1&2]


Now Since you can't become a PM in Italy, Unless you are born there.
Likewise an Italian Citizen can't become Indian PM, unless He/She is not born here!


Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Man who Exposed the 2G Scam) sent a letter to the PRESIDENT OF INDIA bringing the same to his Notice. [READ LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT IN ANNEXURE -3]

PRESIDENT OF INDIA sent a letter to Sonia Gandhi to this effect, 3:30 PM, May 17th, 2004.

Swearing Ceremony was scheduled for 5 PM the same Day.

Manmohan Singh was brought in the Picture at the last moment to Save Face!!


Rest of the SACRIFICE DRAMA which she choreographed was an EYE WASH!!!

Infact Sonia Gandhi had sent, 340 letters, each signed by different MP to the PRESIDENT KALAM, supporting her candidacy for PM.

One of those letters read, I Sonia Gandhi, elected Member from Rai Bareli, hereby propose Sonia Gandhi as Prime Minister.
So SHE was Pretty INTERESTED! Until She came to know the Facts!

So She didn't make any Sacrifice, It so happens that SONIA GANDHI couldn't have become the PM of INDIA that time.


You could be Ashamed about that Dear Rahul!! One Credential Sonia G had, Even that was a HOAX!


THINK ABOUT YOURSELF.

You go to Harvard on Donation Quota. ( Hindujas Gave HARVARD 11 million dollars the same year, when Rajiv Gandhi was in Power)

Then you are expelled in 3 Months/ You Dropped out in 3 Months.... ( Sadly Manmohan Singh wasn't the Dean of Harvard that time, else you might have had a chance... Too Bad, there is only one Manmohan Singh!)

Some Accounts say, You had to Drop out because of Rajiv Gandhi's Assassination. 

May be, But Then Why did you go about lying about being Masters in Economics from Harvard .. before finally taking it off your Resume upon questioning by Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI (The Gentlemen who exposed the 2G Scam)

At St. Stephens.. You Fail the Hindi Exam.

Hindi Exam!!!

And you are representing the Biggest Hindi Speaking State of the Country?


SONIA GANDHI's EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

Sonia G gave a sworn affidavit as a Candidate that She Studied English at University of Cambridge

[SEE ANNEXURE-6, 7_37a]

According to Cambridge University, there is no such Student EVER! [ SEE ANNEXURE -7_39]

Upon a Case by Dr. Subramaniyam Swami filed against her,

She subsequently dropped the CAMBRIDGE CREDENTIAL from her Affidavit.

Sonia Gandhi didn't even pass High School. She is just 5th class Pass!

In this sense, She shares a common Educational Background with her 2G Partner in Crime, Karunanidhi.


You Fake your Educational Degree, Your Mother Fakes her Educational Degree. 
And then you go out saying, " We want Educated Youth into Politics!"


Letters sent by Dr. Swami to EC and then Speaker of Lok Sabha are in ANNEXURE 7_36 &7_35 RESPECTIVELY


Contrast that with Gandhi Ji , who went to South Africa, Became a Barrister, on Merit, Left all that to work for South Africa, then for the Country....


WHY LIE ABOUT EDUCATIONAL CREDENTIALS?

Not that Education is a Prerequisite for being a great Leader, but then you shouldn't have lied about your qualifications!

You could feel a little ashamed about Lying about your Educational Qualifications. You had your reasons I know, Because in India, WE RESPECT EDUCATION!

But who cares about Education, When you are a Youth Icon!! 


YOUTH ICON

You traveled in the Local Train for the first time at the Age of 38.

You went to some Villages as a part of Election Campaign.

And You won a Youth Icon!! ... That's why You are my Youth Icon.

For 25 Million People travel by Train Everyday. You are the First Person to win a Youth Icon for boarding a Train. 

Thousands of Postmen go to remotest of Villages. None of them have yet gotten a Youth Icon.

You were neither YOUNG Nor ICONIC!

Still You became a Youth Icon beating Iconic and Younger Contenders like RAHUL DRAVID.

Shakespeare said, What's in a Name?

Little did he knew, It's all in the Name, Especially the Surname!

Speaking of Surname, Sir


DO YOU REALLY RESPECT GANDHI, OR IS IT JUST TO CASH IN ON THE GOODWILL OF MAHATMA? 

Because the Name on your Passport is RAUL VINCI.

Not RAHUL GANDHI..

May be if you wrote your Surname as Gandhi, you would have experienced, what Gandhi feels like, LITERALLY ( Pun Intended) 

You People don't seem to use Gandhi much, except when you are fighting Elections. ( There it makes complete sense).

Imagine fighting elections by the Name Raul Vinci...


It feels sadly Ironic, Gandhi Ji, who inspired Icons like Nelson Mandela ,Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lennon, across the world, Couldn't inspire members of his party/ Nehru's Family, who only seem to use his Surname for the purposes of FIGHTING ELECTIONS and conveniently use a different name on their PASSPORT.


You use the name GANDHI at will and then say, " Mujhe yeh YUVRAJ shabd Insulting lagta hai! Kyonki aaj Hindustan mein Democracy hai, aur is shabd ka koi matlab nahin hai! 
 

YUVRAJ, Itna hi Insulting lagta hai, to lad lo RAUL VINCI ke Naam se!!! Jin Kisano ke saath photo khinchate ho woh bhi isliye entertain karte hain ki GANDHI ho.. RAUL VINCI bol ke Jao... Ghar mein nahin ghusaenge!!!


You could feel ashamed for your Double Standards.


YOUTH INTO POLITICS.

Now You want Youth to Join Politics.

I say First you Join Politics.

Because you haven't Joined Politics. You have Joined a Family Business.

First you Join Politics. Win an Election fighting as RAUL VINCI and Not Rahul Gandhi, then come and ask the youth and the Educated Brass for more involvement in Politics.

Also till then, Please don't give me examples of Sachin Pilot and Milind Deora and Naveen Jindal as youth who have joined Politics..

They are not Politicians. They Just happen to be Politicians.

Much Like Abhishek Bachchan and other Star Sons are not Actors. They just happen to be Actors (For Obvious Reasons)

So, We would appreciate if you stop requesting the Youth to Join Politics till you establish your credentials...


WHY WE CAN'T JOIN POLITICS!

Rahul Baba, Please understand, Your Father had a lot of money in your Family account ( in Swiss Bank) when he died.

Ordinary Youth has to WORK FOR A LIVING.

YOUR FAMILY just needs to NETWORK FOR A LIVING 

If our Father had left thousands of Crores with us, We might consider doing the same..

But we have to Work. Not just for ourselves. But also for you. So that we can pay 30% of our Income to the Govt. which can then be channelized to the Swiss Banks and your Personal Accounts under some Pseudo Names.

So Rahul, Please don't mind If the Youth doesn't Join Politics. We are doing our best to fund your Election Campaigns and your Chopper Trips to the Villages.

Somebody has to Earn the Money that Politicians Feed On.


NO WONDER YOU ARE NOT GANDHI'S. YOU ARE SO CALLED GANDHI'S!!

Air India, KG Gas Division, 2G, CWG, SWISS BANK Account Details... Hasan Ali, KGB., FBI Arrest..

You want to feel ashamed..

Feel Ashamed for what the First Family of Politics has been reduced to...

A Money Laundering Enterprise.


NO WONDER YOU ARE NOT GANDHI'S BY BLOOD. GANDHI is an adopted Name. For Indira didn't marry Mahatma Gandhi's Son.

For even if you had one GENE OF GANDHI JI in your DNA. YOU WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PLAGUED BY SUCH 'POVERTY OF AMBITION' ( Ambition of only EARNING MONEY) 


You really want to feel Ashamed.

Feel Ashamed for what you ' SO CALLED GANDHI'S' have done to MAHATMA'S Legacy..

I so wish GANDHI JI had Copyrighted his Name!

Meanwhile, I would request Sonia Gandhi to change her name to $ONIA GANDHI, and you could replace the 'R' in RAHUL/RAUL by the New Rupee Symbol!!! 


RAUL VINCI : I am ashamed to call myself an Indian.

Even we are ashamed to call you so!


P.S: Popular Media is either bought or blackmailed, controlled to Manufacture Consent!

My Guess is Social Media is still a Democratic Platform. (Now they are trying to put legislations to censor that too!!)

Meanwhile, Let's ask these questions, for we deserve some Answers.

For we are all Gandhi's. For Bapu is the Father of the Nation!


To know more, Try looking for Dr. SUBRAMANIYAM SWAMI. He is the reason today 2G SCAM is being Investigated!!!

Friday, August 27, 2010

अब दो लाख तक नहीं लगेगा आयकर

केंद्र सरकार वेतनभोगी वर्ग पर काफी मेहरबान होती नजर आ रही है। सरकार के नए प्रस्ताव से कुछ इसी तरह की तस्वीर उभर कर सामने आई है। सरकार ने व्यक्तिगत आयकर छूट सीमा को मौजूदा 1.6 लाख रुपये से बढ़ाकर दो लाख रुपये करने का प्रस्ताव किया है। यही नहीं, कॉरपोरेट जगत पर भी सरकार की कृपा तय नजर आ रही है। सरकार ने कॉरपोरेट टैक्स पर सरचार्ज एवं सेस हटाने का प्रस्ताव किया है। जाहिर है, ऐसे में कंपनियों को भी काफी राहत मिलने की उम्मीद है। कैबिनेट ने गुरुवार को जिस बहुप्रतीक्षित डायरेक्ट टैक्स कोड (डीटीसी) विधेयक को मंजूरी दी उसी में इन सारी उत्साहवर्धक बातों का उल्लेख किया गया है। संसद के चालू सत्र में ही इसे पेश करने का मन बनाया गया है ताकि अगले वित्त वर्ष से डीटीसी लागू हो सके।

कैबिनेट की बैठक के बाद पत्रकारों से बातचीत में वित्त मंत्री प्रणब मुखर्जी ने ये सारी जानकारियां दीं। उन्होंने टैक्स के स्लैबों का तो खुलासा नहीं किया, लेकिन बताया कि तीन स्लैब होंगे। इसका खुलासा वित्त विधेयक में हेागा। कॉरपोरेट टैक्स के बारे में प्रणब का कहना है कि इसे 30 फीसदी पर ही बरकरार रखने का प्रस्ताव है, लेकिन इस पर कोई सेस या सरचार्ज नहीं लगेगा। इसके साथ ही उन्होंने कहा कि इसके पीछे मुख्य मकसद सरकार द्वारा दी जाने वाली तरह-तरह की कर रियायतों की संख्या को सीमित करना है।

इससे पहले प्रधानमंत्री मनमोहन सिंह की अध्यक्षता में गुरुवार की शाम यहां हुई बैठक में डीटीसी बिल को पेश करने के बारे में फैसला किया गया। मंत्रालय के सूत्रों से मिली जानकारी के अनुसार यह विधेयक देश के वर्तमान आयकर कानून का स्थान लेगा। इससे देश की कर प्रक्रिया आसान होगी। उनका कहना है कि डीटीसी से कर बोझ तो घटेगा, साथ ही इसका दायरा बढ़ेगा। इस वजह से सरकार को घाटा तो नहीं होगा, पर लोगों को फायदा होगा। सूत्रों का कहना है कि 30 अगस्त को इसे संसद में पेश किया जा सकता है।

वित्त मंत्रालय ने पहले डीटीसी विधेयक पर एक मसौदा तैयार किया था, लेकिन उसके प्रावधानों की उद्योग जगत के साथ-साथ आम आदमी ने भी काफी आलोचना की थी। इसमें पीएफ की निकासी पर टैक्स लगाने और उद्योग जगत की परिसंपत्तियों पर मिनिमम अल्टरनेटिव टैक्स (मैट) के प्रावधानों की सर्वाधिक आलोचना हुई थी। राजस्व सचिव सुनील मित्रा के मुताबिक अगस्त 2009 के दौरान जारी हुए डीटीसी पर 1600 रिप्रेजेंटेशन मिले थे। इन समस्याओं के समाधान के लिए मंत्रालय ने संशोधित डीटीसी तैयार किया।

वित्त मंत्रालय का कहना है कि रिवाइज्ड डीटीसी में सरकारी भविष्य निधि (जीपीएफ), पब्लिक प्रॉविडेंट फंड (पीपीएफ) और रिकॉग्नाइज्ड प्रॉविडेंट फंड (आरपीएफ) पर एग्जेंप्ट-एग्जेंप्ट-एग्जेंप्ट (ईईई) दर्जा बरकरार रहेगा। यही नहंी, भविष्य निधि संगठन की पेंशन योजना के साथ-साथ जनवरी 2004 के बाद भर्ती हुए सरकारी कर्मचारियों की पेंशन योजना पर भी ईईई दर्जा बरकरार रहेगा। उद्योग जगत के लिए राहत की बात यह है कि उन पर लगने वाले मैट में भी संशोधन हुआ। पहले कंपनियों की परिसंपत्तियों को मैट के दायरे में लाया गया था। हालांकि, अब प्रावधान यह है कि कंपनियों के बुक प्रॉफिट पर ही मैट लगेगा।

पहले मसौदे में 1.6 से 10 लाख रुपये तक की आय वालों पर 10 फीसदी, 10 से 15 लाख रुपये की आय वालों पर 20 फीसदी और इससे ऊपर की आय वालों पर 30 फीसदी सलाना के आयकर की सिफारिश की गई थी। संशोधित मसौदे में ऐसा कोई उल्लेख नहीं है। अधिकारियों का कहना है कि कर की दर तो वित्त विधेयक से ही पता लगेगी। संशोधित मसौदे की एक और विशेषता होम लोन लेने वालों के लिए स्पष्टीकरण है। इसमें कहा गया है कि होम लोन के ब्याज भुगतान पर पहले की ही तरह सालाना डेढ़ लाख रुपये की छूट मिलती रहेगी। पहले मसौदे में इस पर कुछ भी नहीं कहा गया था।

बिल में और क्या है खास
आयकर के होंगे तीन स्लैब, लेकिन इसकी दरों का खुलासा नहीं
कॉरपोरेट टैक्स की दर को 30 फीसदी पर ही बरकरार रखने का प्रस्ताव
जीपीएफ, पीपीएफ और आरपीएफ पर ईईई दर्जा बरकरार
ईपीएफओ की पेंशन योजना पर भी ईईई दर्जा कायम
जनवरी 2004 के बाद भर्ती हुए सरकारी कर्मचारियों की पेंशन योजना पर भी ईईई बरकरार
लेकिन यूलिप को रखा ईईई दर्जा के दायरे से बाहर
मैट कंपनी की परिसंपत्तियों के बजाय उसके बुक प्रॉफिट पर ही लगेगा
होम लोन लेने वालों के ब्याज भुगतान पर डेढ़ लाख की सालाना छूट कायम
(ईईई से तात्पर्य निवेश के समय, योगदान व राशि की निकासी के समय तीनों बार मिलने वाली कर छूट से है

New Direct Tax Code: Pay less in taxes from April 2011

New Delhi: A windfall for taxpayers from the next financial year. You will in fact have to pay less Direct taxes in every slab of income. This comes with the Cabinet clearing the Direct tax code.

The much-awaited Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill is likely to be tabled in Parliament during the ongoing Monsoon session and thereafter it may be referred to a select committee of members of both houses of Parliament.

The new provisions under the Direct Tax Code are as follows:

  • Tax for income between Rs. 2 lakh - Rs. 5 lakh: 10%
  • Tax for income between Rs. 5 lakh - Rs. 10 lakh: 20%
  • Tax for income over Rs. 10 lakh: 30%
The limit for exemptions for salaried people is Rs. 2 lakh, while that for senior citizens is Rs. 2.5 lakh.

Corporate tax has been kept at 30%.

The new Code comes into effect from April, 2011.

After the approval of the Cabinet, the decks are cleared for tabling the legislation in the Monsoon Session of Parliament so that the new Act ushering in reduced tax rates and exemptions may come into effect from next fiscal.

When enacted, the Code will replace the archaic Income Tax Act and simplify the whole direct tax regime in the country.

The Code aims at reducing tax rates, but expanding the tax base by minimising exemptions.

The Finance Ministry had earlier come out with a draft on the (Direct Tax Code) DTC bill, some of whose provisions drew strong criticism from industry as well as the public.

To address those issues, the ministry brought out the revised draft, dropping earlier proposals of taxing provident funds on withdrawal and levying Minimum Alternate Tax on corporates based on their assets.

"As of now, it is proposed to provide the EEE (Exempt-Exempt-Exempt) method of taxation for Government Provident Fund (GPF), Public Provident Fund (PPF) and Recognised Provident Funds (RPF) ...", the revised DTC released by the Finance Ministry said.

The revised draft also puts pensions administered by the interim regulator PFRDA, including pension of government employees who were recruited since January 2004, under EEE treatment.

The first DTC draft had proposed to tax all savings schemes including provident funds at the time of withdrawal bringing them under the EET (Exempt-Exempt-Tax) mode.

Under the EEE mode, the tax exemption is enjoyed at all the three stages - investment, accumulation and withdrawal.

The earlier DTC draft had proposed to reduce the corporate tax to 25 per cent from the present 30 per cent. The revised proposal has also made it clear that tax incentives on housing loans will continue. Payment on interest on housing loans up to Rs. 1.5 lakh will continue. The earlier draft was silent on housing loans.


Income Tax limit now 2 Lakh

The proposed Direct Tax Code is a combination of major tax relief and removal of most tax-exempted benefits. It is expected to usher in a new tax regime of transparency and greater compliance writes Dilip Maitra.

When archaic rules have to be replaced with new ones, the changes must be dramatic and path breaking. This is what Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee conveyed to all taxpayers when he introduced the draft Direct Tax Code (Tax Code) last week. The Tax Code, now open to public debate, will be introduced as a Bill in Parliament’s winter session. If passed, it will become the new Income Tax Act, replacing the existing four decade old IT Act of 1961. The new IT Act will come into force from April 1, 2011.

In the foreward to the Tax Code Mukherjee explains that the aim is to eliminate distortions in the tax structure, introduce moderate levels of taxation, expand the tax base, improve tax compliance, simplify the language and lower tax litigations. Initial analysis shows that most of these objectives are achievable by tweaking of some provisions.

Talking to Deccan Herald, KPMG Executive Director Personal Taxation, IT & ESOP Vikas Vasal said “The new proposals are in the right direction. They will simplify regulations and reduce unnecessary litigations significantly.”

Agreed Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce (BCIC) President K R Girish. “The Code is a completely new law and not an amendment of the existing Income Tax Act. This is a commendable change as one has always experienced tinkering of existing laws, ” observes Girish.

Major gains for individuals


What do the major changes proposed in the Tax Code look like? Personal income tax, almost all salaried persons will agree, in our country is one of the highest in the world. More open and honest an employer is in terms of disclosing remunerations, worse it is for the employees because taxable income goes up. The present system thus rewards dishonesty and non-disclosure of income by way of lower tax. The Tax Code will try to address these issues by significantly lowering income tax and by disallowing all tax-free perks. It proposed exemption of income tax on specified savings up to Rs 3 lakh a year as against the present deduction limit of Rs 1 lakh for all types of savings under 80C of the IT Act. The catch, however, is that a few long term investments like public provident fund, employer’s provident fund, insurance premium in pension (annuity) schemes, Post Office National Savings Scheme etc will be eligible for tax exemption.

But contributions to fixed deposits, interest and principal payment on housing loans, educational expenses of dependents, and a host of other forms of savings will not qualify as eligible for tax savings. The thrust, clearly, is to induce long term savings for future needs.

The Tax Code also raised income tax slabs significantly, lowering the tax burden on individuals. The draft proposed exempting the general tax payer from paying tax for income up to Rs 1.60 lakh a year.

According to the proposal, a tax payer will pay at the rate of 10 per cent for income above Rs 1.60 lakh and up to Rs 10 lakh, at 20 per cent on income between Rs 10 lakh and Rs 25 lakh and at 30 per cent for income beyond Rs 25 lakh.

At present, while the basic exemption limit remains at Rs 1.60 lakh a year, the limit for tax slabs are much lower — one pays 10 per cent tax on income ranging between Rs 1.60 lakh and Rs 3 lakh, 20 per cent between Rs 3 lakh and Rs 5 lakh and 30 per cent beyond Rs 5 lakh.

Thus, for an individual with taxable income of Rs 10 lakh a year tax payment will drop from Rs 1.68 lakh to Rs 51,000, a net annual saving of Rs 1.17 lakh. The exemption limit for women and senior citizens will continue to be Rs 1.90 lakh and Rs 2.40 lakh, respectively.

Not without pains

If the finance minister is for giving major relief to tax payers, he will also make sure that there aren’t many avenues to avoid taxes. So, as a rider, the Tax Code proposes to add all perquisites enjoyed by a tax payer to income for the purpose of tax calculations. In other words, allowances like leave travel, furnishings, entertainment expenses, conveyance, medical etc, will be added to income.

Similarly, the tax treatment for post-retirement benefits may prove to be a major dampener. Money saved in specified instruments like PPF and PF for getting tax exemption will become taxable when they are withdrawn later.

These investments, when accrued, were earlier exempted from tax. The Tax Code says that under the Exempt Exempt Tax (EET) system all withdrawals will attract tax because the amount withdrawn will be treated as part of the income for that year.

But in the Tax Code it is unclear if the employee’s contribution to PF and PPF will be taxed at the time of withdrawal. KPMG’s Vasal says that this is an anomaly that needs to be corrected. He believes that only the employer’s contribution and interest accrued to the account will be taxed.

Though taxing financial gains available after retirement will pinch the retired people, Vasal is of the view that the proposal is equitable as income is liable to be taxed at least once.

However, as a relief to senior citizens, tax exemption limits for them should be raised to Rs 5 lakh per annum instead of Rs 2.40 lakh at present. The Tax Code, however, specified that the tax exempt status currently available to withdrawals would continue to apply to amounts accumulated in post-retirement savings schemes like PPF, EPF, etc, up to March 31, 2011. Money that accrues from April 1, 2011 will be taxed on withdrawal.

Wealth tax benefits

The proposed Tax Code has sought to make major changes in wealth tax calculations and rates.

The threshold limit for wealth tax will be raised to Rs 50 crore from the present Rs 30 lakh and the tax rate was reduced from 1 per cent to 0.25 per cent.

But, in a smart move, to expand the scope of taxation the Tax Code included financial assets like shares, corporate bonds, fixed deposits, etc in wealth tax. The valuation of these assets will be done at cost or at market price, whichever is lower. In case of capital gains tax too, the Tax Code proposed some sweeping changes. It has done away with the present system of short-term and long-term capital gain tax, and replaced it with a uniform structure and gains will be taxed at the marginal tax rate as applicable to the tax payer. The implications of these changes are clear: The period of holding has no bearing on the tax payable and bigger investors will be taxed at higher rates than the smaller ones.

A mixed bag

For the corporate world, the proposed reduction in the tax rate to 25 per cent from the existing 30 per cent is certainly good news and will help lowering the tax burden of India Inc in a big way. But at the same time the Tax Code proposes to do away with many exemptions that help lowering the tax. In a significant policy change, the Tax Code plans to discontinue all profit linked incentives for area-based investments like setting up plants in a backward area or in the north-east with investment-linked incentives in specific sectors like infrastructure, power, exploration and oil production etc.

Moreover, under the new proposal, tax holiday will not be for a specific period, as is the case now, but will be equal to all capital and revenue expenditure barring land, goodwill and debts.

Once a firm recovers the permitted investments and profits will be taxed. This change is aimed at incentivising capital formation in critical areas and remove incentives to shift profits from the taxable unit to the exempted unit.

On the mat


The Tax Code has also proposed changes in the calculation of minimum alternate tax (MAT) payable by corporates. MAT will now be levied at 2 per cent of the value of gross assets of a firm in case of all companies except for banks which will pay tax at 0.25 per cent. This shift in MAT from book profits to gross assets is aimed at encouraging optimal utilisation and increased efficiency of assets.

But Ernst & Young Partner- Tax & Regulatory Services, Sudhir Kapadia feels that this proposal seems to run counter to the objective of encouraging of capital investments for productive growth. Vasal of KPMG also of the view that changes in MAT rule will cause hardship to loss making companies as they will have to pay tax on assets.

Carrot and stick

If the Tax Code is generous in giving relief to tax payers, be sure, it will also make life miserable for those who evade tax through fraudulent means. As the Tax Code prescribes stiff penalties and prosecution for non-compliance with the tax laws, it proposes that every tax offense under the Code will be punishable by both imprisonment and fine.

Apart from defaulters, the Tax Code proposes to punish tax consultants who help in tax evasion. It gives sweeping powers and blanket protection to Income Tax officials for initiating court proceedings on matters relating to tax offences.

Direct Tax Code Document

Click Here To Download

Friday, May 7, 2010

Today's Hot News

SC verdict on Ambani gas war: Advantage Mukesh, Anil's RNRL stocks crash

The Supreme Court has ruled that the government is the legal owner of gas and has the authority to allocate this gas and decide its prices. In the Ambani vs Ambani gas war, this amounts to Advantage Mukesh.

In the stock market, Anil's RNRL shares have plunged, Mukesh's RIL shares are trading up. The three-judge apex court bench ruled 2:1 in favour of Mukesh's RIL, saying the Ambani family memorandum of understanding (MoU) dividing the gas was not binding, legally or technically. And that a government contract overrides a private one.

The dispute between the estranged billionaire brothers is over the price at which Mukesh’s RIL is obliged to sell gas from the Krishna Godavari basin to Anil’s RNRL for its power plants based on a family contract. Mukesh has been arguing that it cannot sell gas at a rate below the government-set rate.

The court said on Friday that the contract would have to be renegotiated within six weeks to be within the framework of government policy and asked the Ambani brothers to go to company court with the renegotiated deal.


Reading out the verdict in court, Justice P Sathasivam said: "RIL does not have absolute right over gas and price is subject to government approval... since MoU (of the Ambani family) has not been made public, it does not fall in the corporate domain... Under the production sharing contract, it is for the government to evaluate the price of fuel."

Mohan Parasaran, the additional solicitor general, said: “The court has upheld the right of the government. The family MoU is subject to government policy. Renegotiate within the ambit government policy.”

Within minutes of the verdict, the stocks of Anil’s RNRL crashed and tumbled around 26 per cent at its day’s low. RNRL Chairman Anil Ambani left the court without taking any questions from reporters. RIL shares gained about 5 per cent at its day’s high.

Within minutes too, the government welcomed the verdict upholding its sovereign right on pricing and utilisation of gas. "No matter what campaign one ran against the government, the nation is supreme," Oil Minister Murli Deora said without naming the Anil Ambani group, which had cast aspersions on his ministry for allegedly siding with the Mukesh-led RIL.

In a family understanding mediated by their mother, Kokila Ben, the brothers, in 2005, decided that Anil would get gas at $2.34 per unit. The court has said that the government alone can fix gas prices. Mukesh had been arguing that the rate had to be raised to $4.2 per unit after the government said that the price reached in the family agreement was too low.