The Finance Act 2020 read along with Circular No.C1 of 2020, is enabling every employee to indicate to his/her employer as to whether the employer should withhold taxes from salary income as per the Current Provisions (old tax regime) or under the Optional New Tax Regime.
The key features of the Optional New Tax Regime (Section 115BAC of the Act) are as follows:
- The Optional New Tax Regime is introduced by Finance Act, 2020, for individuals with modified tax slabs and rates. On satisfaction of certain prescribed conditions, an individual may opt to compute tax in respect of total income (without considering prescribed exemptions/ deductions), as per the new slab rates, instead of the existing tax regime.
- Net taxable income is taxed based on progressive income tax rates ranging from 5 percent to 30 percent. The tax rates and tax thresholds applicable for the new tax regime are:
Taxable Income (INR) | Tax rate (%) |
0 – 250,000* | Nil |
250,000 – 500,000 | 5% |
500,000 – 750,000 | 10% |
750,000 – 1,000,000 | 15% |
1,,00,000 – 1,250,000 | 20% |
1,250,000 – 1,500,000 | 25% |
1,500,000 and above | 30% |
- The choice of the Optional New Tax Regime, comes with a few pre-requisite conditions.
Surcharge
For Individual, Hindu Undivided Family, Association of Persons, Body of Individuals and Artificial Juridical Persons:
Total Income | Surcharge * |
Exceeds INR 5,000,000 but does not exceed INR 10,000,000 | 10% |
Exceeds INR 10,000,000 but does not exceed INR 20,000,000 | 15% |
Exceeds INR 20,000,000 but does not exceed INR 50,000,000 | 25% |
Exceeds INR 50,000,000 | 37% |
*Subject to marginal relief
*Further, the surcharge for income tax relating to any long-term capital gains is capped at 15%
Cess
The Health and Education cess on income-tax is applicable at the rate of 4 percent on income tax (inclusive of surcharge, if any).