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INDIAN AGRO & RECYCLED PAPER MILLS ASSOCIATION

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New Delhi – 110 008

Union Budget proposals presented by Mr. Arun Jaitly, Hon’ble Union Minister for Finance Govt. of India

- UNION BUDGET 2016-17

The Union Budget presented by teh Hon'ble Finance Minister has been termed as pro-farmer and rural biased by the economists and people. There is no change in teh excise and custom duty structure on pulp and paper industry, except that the custom duty on wood chips for manufacture of paper, paperboard and newsprint that have exempted from the earlier duty of 5%.

Details and consequential changes are furnished as hereunder:-

Custom Duty:-

Chapter 44 -

1) Basic Customs duty on wood in chips or particles for manufacture of paper, paperboard and news print is being reduced from 5% to Nil subject to actual user condition. Since, there is no excise/CV duty on wood in chips or particles, this will also result in exemption from SAD on such wood chips/particles. Notification No.12/2012-Customs, dated 17th March, 2012 as amended by notification No.12/2016-Customs, dated the 1st March, 2016 [new S.No.259A] refers

Chapter 47:

1) Basic Customs duty on Pulp of wood [4701-4706] for manufacture of goods falling under heading 9619 [sanitary towels, tampons, napkins, diapers etc.] is being reduced from 5% to 2.5% subject to actual user condition. S.No 260 of Notification No.12/2012-Customs, dated 17th March, 2012 as amended by notification No.12/2016-Customs, dated the 1st March, 2016 refers.

Chapter 48:

1) Basic Customs duty on Braille paper [4823 90 11] is being reduced from 10% to Nil. List 32 of Notification No.12/2012-Customs, dated 17th March, 2012 as amended by notification No.12/2016-Customs, dated the 1st March, 2016 refers

Excise Duty:-

No change in respect of pulp and paper industry.

CESS OF PAPER INDUSTRY: Continues, although cess on some of the other industries/products has been withdrawn.

SERVICE TAX:

I Krishi Kalyan Cess

1. An enabling provision is being made to levy Krishi Kalyan Cess of 0.5% is proposed on all taxable services with effect from 1st June, 2016, to finance and promote initiatives to improve agriculture.

BUDGET PROPOSALS ON DIRECT TAXES

A. RATES OF INCOME-TAX

I. Rates of income-tax in respect of income liable to tax for the assessment year 2016-2017.

In respect of income of all categories of assessees liable to tax for the assessment year 2016-2017, the rates of income-tax have been specified in Part I of the First Schedule to the Bill. These are the same as those laid down in Part III of the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 2015, for the purposes of computation of "advance tax", deduction of tax at source from "Salaries" and charging of tax payable in certain cases.

(1) Surcharge on income-tax

Surcharge shall be levied in respect of income liable to tax for the assessment year 2016-2017, in the following cases:-

(a) in the case of every individual or Hindu undivided family or every association of persons or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, or every artificial juridical person referred to in sub-clause (vii) of clause (31) of section 2 of Act, cooperative societies, firms or local authorities, the amount of income-tax shall be increased by a surcharge for the purposes of the Union at the rate of twelve percent. of such income-tax in case of a person having a total income exceeding one crore rupees.

However, marginal relief shall be allowed in all these cases to ensure that the total amount payable as income-tax and surcharge on total income exceeding one crore rupees shall not exceed the total amount payable as income-tax on a total income of one crore rupees by more than the amount of income that exceeds one crore rupees.

Also, in the case of persons mentioned in (a) above having total income chargeable to tax under section 115JC of the Act and where such income exceeds one crore rupees, surcharge at the rate mentioned above shall be levied and marginal relief shall also be provided.

(b) in the case of a domestic company-

i) having total income exceeding one crore rupees but not exceeding ten crore rupees, the amount of income-tax computed shall be increased by a surcharge for the purposes of the Union calculated at the rate of seven per cent. of such income tax;

(ii) having total income exceeding ten crore rupees, the amount of income-tax computed shall be increased by a surcharge for the purposes of the Union calculated at the rate of twelve per cent. of such income-tax

(i) having total income exceeding one crore rupees but not exceeding ten crore rupees, the amount of income-tax computed shall be increased by a surcharge for the purposes of the Union calculated at the rate of two per cent. of such income tax;

(ii) having total income exceeding ten crore rupees, the amount of income-tax computed shall be increased by a surcharge for the purposes of the Union calculated at the rate of five per cent. of such income tax.

However, marginal relief shall be allowed in all these cases to ensure that the total amount payable as income-tax and surcharge on total income exceeding one crore rupees but not exceeding ten crore rupees, shall not exceed the total amount payable as income-tax on a total income of one crore rupees, by more than the amount of income that exceeds one crore rupees. The total amount payable as income-tax and surcharge on total income exceeding ten crore rupees, shall not exceed the total amount payable as income-tax and surcharge on a total income of ten crore rupees, by more than the amount of income that exceeds ten crore rupees.

Also, in the case of every company having total income chargeable to tax under section 115JB of the Act and where such income exceeds one crore rupees but does not exceed ten crore rupees, or exceeds ten crore rupees, as the case may be, surcharge at the rates mentioned above shall be levied and marginal relief shall also be provided.

(d) In other cases (including sections 115-O, 115QA, 115R or 115TA), the surcharge shall be levied at the rate of twelve percent.

(2) Education Cess - For the assessment year 2016-2017,

For the assessment year 2016-2017, additional surcharge called the "Education Cess on income-tax" and "Secondary and Higher Education Cess on income-tax" shall continue to be levied at the rate of two per cent. and one per cent., respectively, on the amount of tax computed, inclusive of surcharge, in all cases. No marginal relief shall be available in respect of such Cesses.

II. Rates for deduction of income-tax at source during the financial year 2016-2017 from certain incomes other than "Salaries".

The rates for deduction of income-tax at source during the financial year 2016-2017 from certain incomes other than "Salaries" have been specified in Part II of the First Schedule to the Bill. The rates for all the categories of persons will remain the same as those specified in Part II of the First Schedule to the Finance Act, 2015, for the purposes of deduction of income-tax at source during the financial year 2015-2016, except that in case of payments made to a resident (other than a company), in the nature of income by way of insurance commission, the rate shall be five per cent. of such income.

(1) Surcharge-

The amount of tax so deducted, in the case of a non-resident person (other than a company), shall be increased by a surcharge at the rate of, -

(i) fifteen per cent. of such tax, in case of an individual, Hindu undivided family, association of person, body of individual or artificial juridical person;

(ii) twelve per cent. of such tax, in case of a firm or cooperative society, where the income or the aggregate of such incomes paid or likely to be paid and subject to the deduction exceeds one crore rupees.

The amount of tax so deducted, in the case of a company other than a domestic company, shall be increased by a surcharge,-

(i) at the rate of two per cent. of such tax, where the income or the aggregate of such incomes paid or likely to be paid and subject to the deduction exceeds one crore rupees but does not exceed ten crore rupees;

(ii) at the rate of five per cent. of such tax, where the income or the aggregate of such incomes paid or likely to be paid and subject to the deduction exceeds ten crore rupees.

No surcharge will be levied on deductions in other cases.

(2) Education Cess-

"Education Cess on income-tax" and "Secondary and Higher Education Cess on income-tax" shall continue to be levied at the rate of two per cent. and one per cent. respectively, of income tax including surcharge wherever applicable, in the cases of persons not resident in India including company other than a domestic company.

III. Rates for deduction of income-tax at source from "Salaries", computation of "advance tax" and charging of income-tax in special cases during the financial year 2016-2017.

The rates for deduction of income-tax at source from "Salaries" during the financial year 2016-2017 and also for computation of "advance tax" payable during the said year in the case of all categories of assessees have been specified in Part III of the First Schedule to the Bill. These rates are also applicable for charging income-tax during the financial year 2016-2017 on current incomes in cases where accelerated assessments have to be made, for instance, provisional assessment of shipping profits arising in India to non-residents, assessment of persons leaving India for good during the financial year, assessment of persons who are likely to transfer property to avoid tax, assessment of bodies formed for a short duration, etc.

The salient features of the rates specified in the said Part III are indicated in the following paragraphs -

A. Individual, Hindu undivided family, association of persons, body of individuals, artificial juridical person.

Paragraph A of Part-III of First Schedule to the Bill provides following rates of income-tax:-

(i) The rates of income-tax in the case of every individual (other than those mentioned in (ii) and (iii) below) or Hindu undivided family or every association of persons or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, or every artificial juridical person referred to in sub-clause (vii) of clause (31) of section 2 of the Act (not being a case to which any other Paragraph of Part III applies) are as under:-

Upto Rs. 2,50,000 Nil.

Rs. 2,50,001 to Rs. 5,00,000 10 per cent.

Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs. 10,00,000 20 per cent.

Above Rs. 10,00,000 30 per cent.

(ii) In the case of every individual, being a resident in India, who is of the age of sixty years or more but less than eighty years at any time during the previous year,-

Upto Rs.3,00,000 Nil.

Rs. 3,00,001 to Rs. 5,00,000 10 per cent.

Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs. 10,00,000 20 per cent.

Above Rs. 10,00,000 30 per cent.

(iii) in the case of every individual, being a resident in India, who is of the age of eighty years or more at anytime during the previous year,-

Upto Rs. 5,00,000 Nil.

Rs. 5,00,001 to Rs. 10,00,000 20 per cent.

Above Rs. 10,00,000 30 per cent.

The amount of income-tax computed in accordance with the preceding provisions of this Paragraph shall be increased by a surcharge at the rate of fifteen percent. of such income-tax in case of a person having a total income exceeding one crore rupees.

However, the total amount payable as income-tax and surcharge on total income exceeding one crore rupees shall not exceed the total amount payable as income-tax on a total income of one crore rupees by more than the amount of income that exceeds one crore rupees.

B. Co-operative Societies

In the case of co-operative societies, the rates of income-tax have been specified in Paragraph B of Part III of the First Schedule to the Bill. These rates will continue to be the same as those specified for financial year 2015-16.

The amount of income-tax shall be increased by a surcharge at the rate of twelve percent. of such income-tax in case of a co-operative society having a total income exceeding one crore rupees.

C. Firms

In the case of firms, the rate of income-tax has been specified in Paragraph C of Part III of the First Schedule to the Bill. This rate will continue to be the same as that specified for financial year 2015-16.

The amount of income-tax shall be increased by a surcharge at the rate of twelve percent. of such income-tax in case of a firm having a total income exceeding one crore rupees.

E. Companies

The rates of income-tax in the case of companies are specified in Paragraph E of Part III of the First Schedule to the Bill. In case of domestic company, the rate of Income-tax shall be twenty nine per cent. of the total income if the total turnover or gross receipts of the company in the previous year 2014-15 does not exceed five crore rupees and in all other cases the rate of Incometax shall be thirty per cent. of the total income.

In order to provide relief to newly setup domestic companies engaged solely in the business of manufacture or production of article or thing, it is proposed to amend the Act by way of insertion of new section 115BA, to provide that the income-tax payable in respect of the total income of a domestic company for any previous year relevant to the assessment year beginning on or after the 1st day of April, 2017 shall be computed @ 25% at the option of the company, if, -

(i) the company has been setup and registered on or after 1st day of March, 2016;

(ii) the company is engaged in the business of manufacture or production of any article or thing and is not engaged in any other business;

(iii) the company while computing its total income has not claimed any benefit under section 10AA, benefit of accelerated depreciation, benefit of additional depreciation, investment allowance, expenditure on scientific research and any deduction in respect of certain income under Part-C of Chapter-VI-A other than the provisions of section 80JJAA; and

(iv) the option is furnished in the prescribed manner before the due date of furnishing of income.

In the case of a company other than a domestic company, the rates of tax are the same as those specified for the financial year 2015-16.

Surcharge at the rate of seven per cent shall be levied in case of a domestic company if the total income of the domestic company exceeds one crore rupees but does not exceed ten crore rupees. Surcharge at the rate of twelve percent shall be levied if the total income of the domestic company exceeds ten crore rupees. In case of companies other than domestic companies, the existing surcharge of two per cent. shall continue to be levied if the total income exceeds one crore rupees but does not exceed ten crore rupees. Surcharge at the rate of five percent shall continue to be levied if the total income of the company other than domestic company exceeds ten crore rupees.

However, the total amount payable as income-tax and surcharge on total income exceeding one crore rupees but not exceeding ten crore rupees, shall not exceed the total amount payable as income-tax on a total income of one crore rupees, by more than the amount of income that exceeds one crore rupees. The total amount payable as income-tax and surcharge on total income exceeding ten crore rupees, shall not exceed the total amount payable as income-tax and surcharge on a total income of ten crore rupees, by more than the amount of income that exceeds ten crore rupees.

In other cases (including sections 115-O, 115QA, 115R, 115TA or 115TD), the surcharge shall be levied at the rate of twelve percent.

For financial year 2016-2017, additional surcharge called the "Education Cess on income-tax" and "Secondary and Higher Education Cess on income-tax" shall continue to be levied at the rate of two per cent. and one per cent. respectively, on the amount of tax computed, inclusive of surcharge (wherever applicable), in all cases. No marginal relief shall be available in respect of such Cesses. [Clause 2, 49 & First Schedule]