Budget 2021 Highlights: No Changes in Personal Income Tax; Senior Citizens, NRIs Get Exemptions

Nirmala Sitharaman, the Finance Minister addressed parliament with details of the Union Budget 2021. She announced foreign direct investment (FDI) hike in insurance to 74 per cent from 49 per cent with foreign control under safeguards. The Finance Minister has set an objective of ₹ 16.5 lakh crore as agricultural credit.

Her budget speech comes after a difficult year for the economy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which shut down businesses for months, leading to lost earnings, curtailed consumer spending and job cuts. “The total impact of Atmanirbhar Bharat and measures by RBI was ₹ 27.1 lakh crore, which amounts to 30 per cent of GDP,” Ms Sitharaman said. “2021 is a year of many milestones,” she said.

Speaking on the farmers issue, FM Nirmala Sitharaman said that the Modi Govt is committed to the welfare of farmers. The Minimum Support Price regime has undergone a change to assure price that is at least 1.5 times the cost of production across all commodities, she said. Rs 75,060 crore is paid to farmers for wheat procurement in 2020-21, she added.

The Highlights of Union Budget 2021

Direct Taxes

• Vivad Se Viswas Scheme Last Date of filing extended to 28th February, 2021.
• Citizens of age 75 years and above who have only Pension and Interest income – Need not file Income Tax Returns
• Re-opening of Assessment to reduced to 3 years from 6 years. Only where evidence of concealment of Income of Rs. 50 lakhs or more – re-opening can be made upto 10 years & only with approval of Pr.CCIT.
• Reducing Litigation for small tax payers – Constitution of Faceless Dispute Resolution Panel for people with Total Income upto Rs.50 lakh and disputed income of Rs.10 lakh
• Income Tax Appellate Tribunal to become Faceless – Only electronic communication will be done
• Relaxation to NRIs – Rules to remove hardship of Double Taxation
• Tax Audit Limit to be increased to Rs.10 crores from Rs.5 crores for those having less than 5% cash transactions
• Dividend Tax- Dividend will be exempt from TDS. Advance tax liability on dividend income will arise only after declaration or payment of dividend. For Foreign Investors – lower treaty rate benefit will be given.
• Affordable Housing – Additional Interest deduction (Sec 80EEA) of Rs.1.5 lakhs to be extended for loans taken till 31st March, 2022.
• Affordable Housing Projects – Tax Holiday extended till 31st March, 2022.
• Tax Holiday for Capital Gains for Aircraft Leasing Companies and Tax Exemption to Lease paid to Foreign Persons
• Pre-Filling of Returns – Details of Capital Gains, Dividend Income and Interest income will be pre-filled in the returns
• Relief to Trusts – Charitable trusts running Hospitals and Educational Institutions relief increased from Rs.1 crore to Rs.5 crore.
• Employee contribution not paid by employer will not be allowed as a deduction.
• Tax holiday for Start-Ups extended to 31st March, 2022. Capital Gains exemption on investment in start ups also extended to 31s March, 2022.

MCA, Companies Act, LLP Act
• Easing Compliance requirements of Small Companies – Threshold increased to Share Capital upto Rs.2 crore and Turnover upto Rs.20 crore will be Small Companies
• Allow One Person Companies (OPC) to grow without any restriction in Share Capital or Turnover. NRIs will be allowed to set-up OPCs. Presence in India of 120 days in a year enough to start an OPC.
• Launching MCA Version 3.0 – E-Scrutiny, E-Adjudication and Compliance management to be simplified.
• Decriminalisation of LLP Act, 2008
• Tribunals to be rationalised

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