New Delhi: Government on Thursday allowed payment of tax and penalty in instalments over an extended period for the black money disclosed under the one-time compliance scheme, debunking certain assumptions that the effective tax rate could work out to be 31 per cent, much lower than mooted.
The Income Declaration Scheme (IDS), which gives holders of undeclared wealth a chance to come clean by paying tax, surcharge and penalty of 45 per cent and escape punishment, had earlier provided two month's time after the close of declaration window on September 30 this year for payment of dues.
Now, the government has allowed payment of dues in three instalments by September 30, 2017.
The first instalment of 25 per cent of the total tax, surcharge and penalty due will have to be paid by November 30, 2016, followed by a second tranche of an equivalent amount by March 31, 2017. The remaining 50 per cent will have to be paid by September 30, 2017, a finance ministry statement said.
In a separate statement, the government set to rest the theory of 31 per cent being the effective tax rate under IDS.
Addressing queries received from stakeholders on whether the payment under IDS can be made out of undisclosed income, without including it in the income declared -- thereby whittling down the effective tax rate to 31 per cent -- it has clarified that there is no intent to “modify or alter the rate of tax, surcharge and penalty payable under the Scheme”.
The clarification in the form of frequently asked questions (FAQs) stated that “Sections 184 & 185 of the Finance Act, 2016 unambiguously provide for payment of tax, surcharge and penalty at the rate of 45 per cent of undisclosed income”.
It offered an example: If a person declares Rs 100 lakh as undisclosed income, being the fair market value of undisclosed immovable property as on June 1, 2016 and pays tax, surcharge and penalty of Rs 45 lakh (30 lakh + 7.5 lakh + 7.5 lakh) on it out of his other undisclosed income, he won't get any immunity.
