Income Tax department revises the (Form 16) TDS certificate format issued by employers

Income Tax department revises the (Form 16) TDS certificate format issued by employers

The Income Tax department has revised Form 16 by adding various details, including income from house property and remuneration received from other employers, thereby making it more comprehensive to help check tax avoidance.

It will also include segregated information regarding deductions under various tax saving schemes, investments in tax savings instruments, different allowances received by the employee as well as income from other sources.

Form 16 is a certificate issued by employers, giving details of employees’ TDS (tax deducted at source) usually by mid June and is used in filing I-T returns.

The revised Form, which has been notified by the Income Tax department, will come into effect from May 12, 2019. This means the income tax returns for financial year 2018-19 will have to be filed on the basis of revised Form 16.

Among other things, the revised Form 16 will also include details of deductions in respect of interest on deposits in savings account, and rebates and surcharge, wherever applicable.

The I-T department has already notified income tax return forms for fiscal 2018-19. Salaried class and those who do not have to get their accounts audited, will have to file their ITRs by July 31 this year.

Meanwhile, the income tax department has also modified Form 24Q, which is furnished by employer to the tax department. It will include additional details like Permanent Account Number (PAN) of non- institutional entities from whom the employee has taken loan for buying or constructing housing property.

Nangia Advisors (Andersen Global) Director Sanjoli Maheshwari said the Form 16 and 24Q have been amended with an intent to make them more elaborative and informative. The same has been done in order to bring the Forms in parity with latest changes made in ITR Forms such as disclosure of standard deduction and exemptions claimed under section 10.

“Earlier, where the disclosure of various deductions were mentioned in a consolidated manner, ranging from 80C, 80CCD, 80E, 80G would now be required to be disclosed separately. These specific disclosures would provide ease to the tax authorities in understanding the various components of income of the taxpayer and thereby, facilitating the conduct of scrutiny more precisely,” Maheshwari said.

The changes in Form 24Q will further help in identifying any fabricated transaction undertaken with an aim of tax avoidance, she added.

PTI

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Form No. 16 for Pensioners : Issue Certificate of Tax Deducted in Form 16 to the Pensioners

Form No. 16 for Pensioners : Issue Certificate of Tax Deducted in Form 16 to the Pensioners

Clarifications regarding use of Form No. 16 for pensioners where pensioners are drawing their pensions through banks – CBDT Circular No.761, dated 13.1.1998

1184. Clarifications regarding use of Form No. 16 for pensioners where pensioners are drawing their pensions through banks

1. The attention of the Board has been drawn to certain difficulties being faced by pensioners drawing their pensions through banks where the tax deduction at source certificate in the prescribed Form No. 16 is
some-time denied to them on the ground that no employee-employer relationship exists between the banks and the pensioner. At times, objections have also been raised by the banks on the premise that Form No. 16 relates to deductions from salaries and not from pensions. In other cases, the certificates have been denied on the ground that the bank was not aware of any other income which the pensioner may have had.

2. The matter has been considered by the Board. It is hereby clarified that :—

(a) as per section 17(1)(ii) of the Income-tax Act, 1961, the term ‘salary’ includes pension;

(b) once tax has been deducted under section 192 of the Income-tax Act, 1961, the tax-deductor is bound by section 203 to issue the certificate of tax deducted in Form 16. No employee-employer relationship is necessary for this purpose;

(c) the certificate in Form No. 16 cannot be denied on the ground that the tax deductor is unaware of the payees’ other income.

3. These clarifications may be brought to the notice of all concerned, especially the banks in your region.

Circular : No. 761, dated 13-1-1998

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