Budget 2024 income tax: New vs old tax regime – how FM Sitharaman can make simplified tax regime more appealing for taxpayers | Business

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By Aarti Raote and Poornima G
Budget 2024 income tax expectations: The new and simplified private income tax regime was launched within the Budget of 2020 with the target to simplify tax compliances and supply important reduction to particular person taxpayers. The new tax regime offered for considerably diminished income tax charges for particular person taxpayers who should forgo sure deductions and exemptions.
Comparison between the common tax regime and the simplified new tax regime
The Budget of 2023, additional elevated the private income tax rebate threshold beneath the brand new tax regime from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 7 lakh, lowered the variety of tax slabs from six to 5, and elevated the tax exemption ceiling to Rs 3 lakh. The highest surcharge charge was lowered from 37% to 25%, an ordinary deduction of Rs 50,000 was launched for retirees and salaried people, and a household pension exemption of Rs 15,000 was carried out. However, as a consequence a taxpayer opting for the brand new tax regime shall forgo deductions comparable to House Rent Allowance, Leave Travel allowance, deduction for curiosity on housing loans, deductions u/s 80C for investments in ELSS, time period deposits, housing mortgage principal and so forth.
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If the tax deductions/ exemptions within the common regime is Rs 2 lakh or more for a salaried taxpayer having a complete income of Rs 7 lakh, then his tax payable could be equal to the tax as per the simplified tax regime. For a taxpayer having a complete income of Rs 15 lakh, the quantity of deductions must be roughly Rs 3.75 lakh, to equate the tax quantity as per simplified tax regime. Thus taxpayers with greater ranges of deductions will discover the common regime more useful. However, taxpayers at excessive income bands of Rs 5 crore and above, would favor the brand new tax regime on account of the decrease surcharge charge relevant.
While the brand new simplified regime was made because the default tax regime, the present tax regime remains to be in place, and a taxpayer has the choice to decide on the perfect appropriate one.
Impact of the simplified tax regime
Based on the statistics shared until FY: 2021-22, the simplified tax regime was not most popular by many taxpayers. Hence the finance minister, in Budget 2023, added a couple of concessions to make the regime more engaging. It is predicted that for FY 2023-24, at the very least 40% of the taxpayers will choose for the simplified tax regime.
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The query that arises is whether or not the simplified tax regime has an impression on the tax financial savings investments made by taxpayers. One of the benefits of the common regime was that it offered tax deduction for notified long run investments. Thus taxpayers invested within the Public Provident Fund (PPF) or life insurances and in long run fastened deposits, to save lots of tax.
As of August 2023, the variety of subscribers beneath the National Pension System (NPS) and Atal Pension Yojana (APY) collectively, have grown to more than 6.62 crore and the full Assets Under Management (AUM) has reached Rs. 10 lakh crore. The contributing members to the Employee’s Provident Fund (EPF) has elevated to 7,62,25,799 during the last one 12 months.
The variety of subscribers to EPF in addition to NPS mirror elevated / rising subscriptions. However, one must be careful for future tendencies on condition that it’s anticipated that 40% of taxpayers might transfer to the simplified tax regime. While the simplified tax regime does present taxpayers the flexibleness to speculate their cash in securities they like, one can not deny that the funding choices of decrease income taxpayers might get impacted as these taxpayers tend to decide on the safer and probably the most used routes of funding comparable to PPF, NPS and insurance coverage premiums, that additionally present a tax break.
Consumer spending relies on a wide range of components comparable to stage of income, financial savings, debt ranges, future expectations and so forth., whereas at decrease ranges, there could be marginal advantage of utilizing the simplified tax regime; at greater ranges of income the profit is important due to surcharge charges. In such circumstances there’s a greater disposable income with taxpayers, thus more buying energy, which can assist in boosting demand for items and companies / elevated investments. That will assist stimulate financial development.
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Conclusion
The new simplified regime affords simplified tax construction with diminished documentation. The authorities ought to take into account implementing the modifications step by step and permit time for taxpayers to regulate and plan their taxes higher.
To improve the enchantment of the brand new tax regime, the federal government must strike a steadiness between simplification, incentivization for financial savings and investments and stimulating client spending, all whereas sustaining fiscal sustainability. Continuous monitoring and changes based mostly on suggestions shall be important for its success.
(Aarti Raote is Partner with Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP, Poornima G with Deloitte Haskins & Sells LLP)