INCOME TAX BENEFITS TO CITIZENS TO TRANSACT THROUGH CREDIT CARD, DEBIT CARD AND ELECTRONIC MEANS – DRAFT PROPOSAL BY FINANCE MINISTRY

WELCOME MOVE BY THE FINANCE MINISTRY TO BRING ALL TRANSACTION UNDER TAX UMBRELLA

Modi government has proposed income tax benefits for people making payments through credit or debit cards and doing away with transaction charges on purchase of petrol, gas and rail tickets with plastic money.  In a draft paper for moving towards cashless economy and reduce tax avoidance, the government also proposed to make it mandatory to settle high value transactions of more than Rs 1 lakh through electronic mode.

It has also proposed tax rebate to the shop keepers provided they accept a significant value of sales through debit or credit cards.

The proposals are aimed at building a transactions history of an individual to enable improved credit access and financial inclusion, reduce tax avoidance and check counterfeiting of currency.

“Tax benefits in terms of income tax rebates to be considered to consumers for paying a certain proportion of their expenditure through electronic means,” said that draft proposals for facilitating electronic transactions on which the government has invited comments till June 29.

It further said that all “high value transactions of, say, more than Rs 1 lakh, (be settled) only by electronic means”.