Income tax exemption limit to be hiked to Rs 3 lakh

Income tax exemption limit to be hiked to Rs 3 lakh

New Delhi: The Finance Ministry is considering raising the current tax exemption limit from Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh.

"A core commitee for Budget 2017 has proposed to revise tax exemption limit aimed to benefit small taxpayers," a top official involved with the process of Budget told The Sen Times on the condition on anonymity.

Income of Rs 3 lakh to 5 lakh may be taxed at 10% (the current slab is Rs. 2.5-5 lakh taxed at 10%); Rs 5-10 lakh will be taxed at 20% (currently also Rs 5-10 lakh is taxed at 20%); Rs 10 lakh and above to be taxed at 30% (Currently also Rs 10 lakh and above is taxed at 30%).

"There are chances that a hike in tax exemption limit may be announced, but I am not sure if it will go up to Rs 4 lakh. Realistically the Finance Minister may announce a hike from the current Rs 2.5 lakh to Rs 3 lakh or maybe even Rs 3.5 lakh. Rs 4 lakh would be a lot, because then a lot of people who currently pay tax would go out of the ambit," said a tax expert.

The government may also propose a higher super-rich tax for those who earn more than Rs 10 crore a year.

So, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley may have some good news for the salaried people in the budget for 2017-18.