FinMin working on DTC Bill, may bring it in Winter session

Bill proposes a higher income tax rate of 35%. Also proposes to levy a 10% tax on dividend income of more than Rs 1 crore

Finance Ministry today said it finalising the official amendments to Direct Taxes Code (DTC) Bill so that it could be taken up in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning December 5.

"We are working on the DTC Bill and want to bring it as soon as possible," Revenue Secretary Sumit Bose told reporters on the sidelines of a CII summit here.

The Finance Ministry is currently working on the official amendments to the DTC Bill which was tabled in Parliament earlier.

Meanwhile, a senior Finance Ministry official said that the amendments to the Bill would be placed before the Cabinet shortly for approval.

"The Finance Ministry wants to bring it in the Winter session of Parliament," the official added.

Among other things, the DTC Bill proposes a higher income tax rate of 35%.

While the Bill proposes to keep exemption limit at Rs 2 lakh for individual tax unchanged, it proposes to introduce a fourth slab of 35% tax rate for those with an annual income of over Rs 10 crore.

It also proposes to levy a 10% tax on dividend income of more than Rs 1 crore.

Besides, Minimum Alternate Tax (MAT) may be levied on book profit and not on gross assets, sources said. Further, the Securities Transaction Tax (STT) is likely to be retained, though the Standing Committee on Finance, which had scrutinised the bill, had suggested abolition of the levy.

At present, tax is levied on income between Rs 2-5 lakh at 10%, Rs 5-10 lakh at 20%, and above Rs 10 lakh at 30%. Further, those earning more than Rs 1 crore have to pay a surcharge of 10%.

The Finance Ministry, according to sources, had accepted most of the recommendations of the Standing Committee.

On whether there is a scope for lowering the rate of corporate tax, the official said it is not possible in India.

The DTC bill, which aims to rationalise tax rates to bring more people and companies under the tax net and overhaul the I-T Act of 1961, was introduced in Parliament in 2010.

The Bill has retained the 30% tax on corporates, which was also the recommendation of the Standing Committee.

The first draft of the Bill was prepared by Finance Minister P Chidambaram in 2009, followed by a second draft by the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, which was later sent to the Standing Committee for their recommendations.

The first draft prepared by Chidambaram in 2009 had proposed a 10% income-tax on slabs of Rs 1.6-10 lakh, 20% on slabs of Rs 10-25 lakh and 30% on Rs 25 lakh and above. Besides, corporate tax was proposed at 25%.

This was followed by the draft DTC Bill prepared by the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in 2010, which proposed income tax of 10% for Rs 2-5 lakh slabs, 20% for Rs 5-10 lakh and 30% for Rs 10 lakh and above besides corporate tax at 30%.

The Standing Committee suggested slabs of Rs 3-10 lakh, Rs 10-20 lakh and Rs 20 lakh and above. On corporate tax, it recommended the rate be retained at 30%.