Tuesday, January 21News That Matters

Author: wealth18.com

Last date for filing income tax return extended to 31 Aug 2012

Taxation
As 31-July is last date of filing Income tax returns, most of the people faced difficulties in the past week due to major power outage in North India. CBDT has extended the ‘due date’ of filing of returns of income for the Assessment Year 2012-13 to 31 August 2012. Due to collapse of Northern Grid, there was a massive power outage in Northern India affecting more than 300 million people. Services like metro, trains, airlines were also affected. CBDT has issued a  notification to extend the last date of filing returns to 31 August 2012.  The Notification said "On consideration of the reports of disturbance of general life caused due to failure of power, the CBDT in exercise of powers conferred under section 119 of the Income Tax Act, 1961, hereby extends the ‘due date’ of filing of returns...

Have a Bank Account outside India ? e-Filing of IT return mandatory

Taxation
Are you an Indian professional who has worked abroad on assignment and opened a bank account outside India ?  Even if you have $1 in that bank account,  it is now mandatory to file Income Tax return online. Latest Income Tax circular has made it mandatory to file Income tax return online, if  an individual or a Hindu Undivided Family (HUF), being a resident, having assets (including financial interest in any entity) located outside India or signing authority in any account located outside India. All resident people with bank account, financial interest in any entity, immovable property, any other asset and singing authority of any account outside India need to file Income tax return. They are required to furnish the return in Form ITR-2 or ITR-3 or ITR-4. You will need to file return onli...

e-filing of Income tax return mandatory if income exceeds Rs 10 lakhs

Taxation
Whether your income for the Financial Year 2011-12 i.e for period of April 2011 - March 2012 (Assessment Year 2012-13)  is more than Rs 10 lakhs ??? If yes, You need to compulsorily file the Income tax return electronically. E-filing of Income tax returns has been made compulsory for the person who is an individual or a Hindu Undivided Family, if his or its total income exceeds Rs 10 lakhs. E-filing for such individuals was optional till 2010-11. For filing the return online, having Digital Signature is NOT Compulsory. Returns can be filed with or without digital signature. In case the returns are filed with digital signature, no further action is required. In case returns are filed without using a digital signature, tax payer needs to send ITR-V (Acknowledgement) to the Income Tax depart...

Now you can transfer funds from NRO to NRE account

NRI
The Reserve Bank has now allowed non resident Indians (NRIs) to transfer funds from non-resident ordinary (NRO) account to Non-Resident External (NRE) account a/c. ( May 2012) The maximum limit is $1 million in a financial year. As per the existing regulation, funds transfer from NRE account to NRO was allowed, but not from NRO to NRE.  Funds transfer from NRO account to Bank Account abroad was allowed. See my post - How to transfer funds from your NRO Account This new RBI notification allows to transfer funds from your NRO Account to NRE Account. Ref - RBI/2011-12/536  A. P. (DIR Series) Circular No.117  dates 7 May 2012 Procedures for transferring funds from NRO Account to NRE Account A separate procedure is not mentioned for transferring funds from NRO to NRE, so the general procedure...

How to transfer funds from your NRO Account

NRI
Do you have balances in your NRO account and want to transfer abroad? Here is a quick guide related to remit / transfer funds from your NRO account to a Bank Account outside India. Balances in the NRO account are not freely repatriable. But the RBI does allow NRIs to remit up to USD 1 million per financial year from the NRO account, provided you follow certain procedure. Balances in the NRE account are freely repatriable  and  you do not need any permission for remittance abroad for any amount. Procedure to remit / transfer funds from your NRO Account To transfer funds from your NRO Account, you need to submit documents to ascertain the nature of remittance and to ensure that proper taxes are paid. 1: Chartered accountant's certificate - Form 15CB A certificate under Form 15CB is required...

Comparison of Online Income tax filing / efiling sites

Taxation
There are two options to file returns online. File your Income Tax return online for FREE at Income Tax Department website. Using an online e filing Service provider. If you need any help, there are online service providers / websites which helps & allows you to file your return online. The charges varies from Rs 150 - Rs 3000. Here is the comparison- Website For Fees TaxSpanner Individuals, NRI, Businessmen Rs. 249 - Rs 2499 TaxSmile Individuals, NRI Rs 250 - Rs 3100 TaxShax Individuals Rs 181 - Rs 524 myITreturn Individuals, NRI FREE - Rs 999 IncomeTax Department All FREE See my other post on - How to file your Income Tax returns online for FREE. SBI has recently tie-up with TaxSpanner and they are offering promotional discount with charges starting from Rs 15...