Skip to main content

Know If your Salary Allowance Taxable

Invest In Tax Saving Mutual Funds Online

Call 0 94 8300 8300 (India)

There are a lot of allowances that are often received by an individual while they are in employment. The question that they have is whether this will be taxable and what will be implication be in terms of the tax liability that might arise from these receipts. There is often a lot of confusion that arises on this point and hence it is necessary to be clear about the exact conditions that will affect the total included as taxable income. The other point is that adequate knowledge will also help the individual to plan their salary structure and the manner in which they will get various benefits that are offered by the employer. Here is a closer look at the entire situation and how one should go about tackling it.

 

Overall situation


There are allowances that are provided for specific purposes and the first thing to check is the nature of the allowance and the reason for which this is given. There can be an allowance for meeting conveyance expenses or it could be to meet allowances for dress or newspapers or anything else. The nature of the allowance and the manner in which this is given is of prime importance. The first difference that has to be checked is whether this is a reimbursement of the expenses that have been made or is it an allowance. A reimbursement of the expense is not taxable because this is just an amount that is being returned for the purpose of amount spent for the employer. On the other hand if it is an allowance then it represents an amount that is given to the individual to meet some specific expenses and is taxable unless it is specified as being tax free.

 

Tax free workings


Certain allowances have a tax benefit that is attached to them and this is clearly outlined in the Income Tax Act. An allowance like leave travel allowance or house rent allowance or children's allowance for example is tax free to a certain extent based on the conditions that are fulfilled by the individual in their dealings while actually spending the amount given as the allowance. It is important to look at the exact conditions related to these kinds of specific allowances and then if they are fulfilled the amount that is actually exempt would have to be calculated. This will involve a two step process where the first one will involve checking all the allowances that you receive along with those that are actually exempt to a certain extent to see whether you qualify for any benefit. After this the exact conditions related to your position would have to be seen so that there is an idea of the extent to which the benefit can be claimed. In addition there are some other allowances like.

 

Other allowances


There will be a remaining list of allowances that will not qualify for the benefit and here the ground rules are very simple. All these amounts are taxable and hence there is no working necessary for the purpose of determining the taxable amount. So in case there is an amount that is given for the purpose of buying books then this will be taxable. A distinction here is required with the facility of reimbursement. Under the reimbursement facility the expense is made for the business of the employer and the amount is just given back to the employee. There are limits to the reimbursement so if the amount is not spent then tax will be deducted and the net figure given to the employee. Coming back to allowances the liability of paying the tax is on the individual so they need to see whether any tax has been deducted on this amount and if not then they would have to ensure that they pay the required amount at the time of filing their return.

Happy Investing!!

We can help. Call 0 94 8300 8300 (India)

Leave your comment with mail ID and we will answer them

OR

You can write back to us at PrajnaCapital [at] Gmail [dot] Com

---------------------------------------------

Invest in Tax Saving Mutual Funds ( ELSS Mutual Funds ) to upto Rs 1 lakh and Save tax under Section 80C.

Invest Tax Saving Mutual Funds Online

Tax Saving Mutual Funds Online

These links can be used to Purchase Mutual Funds Online that are regular also (Investment, non-tax saving)

Download Tax Saving Mutual Fund Application Forms from all AMCs

Download Tax Saving Mutual Fund Applications

These Application Forms can be used for buying regular mutual funds also

Some of the best Tax Saving Mutual Funds available ( ELSS Mutual Funds )

  1. ICICI Prudential Tax Plan Invest Online
  2. HDFC TaxSaver Invest Online
  3. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund Invest Online
  4. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund Invest Online
  5. Birla Sun Life Tax Relief '96 Invest Online
  6. IDFC Tax Advantage (ELSS) Fund Invest Online
  7. SBI Magnum Tax Gain Scheme 1993 Invest Online
  8. Sundaram Tax Saver Invest Online
  9. Edelweiss ELSS Invest Online

------------------

Best Performing Mutual Funds

    1. Largecap Funds Invest Online
      1. DSP BlackRock Top 100 Fund
      2. ICICI Prudential Focused Blue Chip Fund
      3. Birla Sun Life Front Line Equity Fund
    2. Large and Midcap Funds Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Dynamic Plan
      2. HDFC Top 200 Fund
      3. UTI Dividend Yield Fund
    1. Mid and SmallCap Funds Invest Online
      1. Reliance Equity Opportunities Fund
      2. DSP BlackRock Small & Midcap Fund
      3. Sundaram Select Midcap
      4. IDFC Premier Equity Fund
    1. Small and MicroCap Funds Invest Online
      1. DSP BlackRock MicroCap Fund
    1. Sector Funds Invest Online
      1. Reliance Banking Fund
      2. Reliance Banking Fund
    1. Tax Saver MutualFunds Invest Online
      1. ICICI Prudential Tax Plan
      2. HDFC Taxsaver
      3. DSP BlackRock Tax Saver Fund
      4. Reliance Tax Saver (ELSS) Fund
    2. Gold Mutual Funds Invest Online
      1. Relaince Gold Savings Fund
      2. ICICI Prudential Regular Gold Savings Fund
      3. HDFC Gold Fund

Popular posts from this blog

All about "Derivatives"

What are derivatives? Derivatives are financial instruments, which as the name suggests, derive their value from another asset — called the underlying. What are the typical underlying assets? Any asset, whose price is dynamic, probably has a derivative contract today. The most popular ones being stocks, indices, precious metals, commodities, agro products, currencies, etc. Why were they invented? In an increasingly dynamic world, prices of virtually all assets keep changing, thereby exposing participants to price risks. Hence, derivatives were invented to negate these price fluctuations. For example, a wheat farmer expects to sell his crop at the current price of Rs 10/kg and make profits of Rs 2/kg. But, by the time his crop is ready, the price of wheat may have gone down to Rs 5/kg, making him sell his crop at a loss of Rs 3/kg. In order to avoid this, he may enter into a forward contract, agreeing to sell wheat at Rs 10/ kg, right at the outset. So, even if the price of wheat falls ...
Read more

Guide to pension plans in the form of Insurance

  Pension plans ensure that you are financially secure during your golden years. Take a look at the important aspects that you must keep in mind while opting for one...      Gone are the days when a leading criterion for choosing an employer was the type of pension plan that came with your salary package. Today, more important issues like matching of skill sets to job requirements, scope for personal and financial growth, etc. have come to the forefront. However, this has left individuals with the responsibility of financially planning for their golden years. And it's all for the best as there are a variety of pension plans available in the market to suit different individuals and their specific needs. WHAT ARE PENSION PLANS?     In a pension plan, you are required to pay premiums for a certain number of years and once you reach the retirement age, the insurer returns a lump sum amount that can be then used to purchase an annuity or stream of income for the rest of your life....
Read more

ICICI Prudential Balanced Fund

 ICICI Prudential Balanced Fund scheme seeks to generate long-term capital appreciation and current income by investing in a portfolio that is investing in equities and related securities as well as fixed income and money market securities. The approximate allocation to equity would be in the range of 60-80 per cent with a minimum of 51 per cent, and the approximate debt allocation is 40-49 per cent, with a minimum of 20 per cent. An impressive show in the last couple of years has propelled this fund from a three-star to a four-star rating. The fund has traditionally featured a high equity allocation, hovering at well over 70 per cent, which is higher than the allocations of the peers. But in the last one year, the allocation has been moderated from 78-79 per cent levels to 66-67 per cent of the portfolio. ICICI Prudential Balanced Fund appears to practise some degree of tactical allocation based on market valuations. Within equities, well over two-thirds of the allocation is parked i...
Read more

Tax Planning: Income tax and Section 80C

In order to encourage savings, the government gives tax breaks on certain financial products under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act. Investments made under such schemes are referred to as 80C investments. Under this section, you can invest a maximum of Rs l lakh and if you are in the highest tax bracket of 30%, you save a tax of Rs 30,000. The various investment options under this section include:   Provident Fund (PF) & Voluntary Provident Fund (VPF) Provident Fund is deducted directly from your salary by your employer. The deducted amount goes into a retirement account along with your employer's contribution. While employer's contribution is exempt from tax, your contribution (i.e., employee's contribution) is counted towards section 80C investments. You can also contribute additional amount through voluntary contributions (VPF). The current rate of interest is 8.5% per annum and interest earned is tax-free. Public Provident Fund (PPF) An account can be opened wi...
Read more

Fortis Mutual Fund

Fortis Mutual Fund, a relatively new player, it is still to prove its case and define its position in the industry. In September 2004, it came onto the scene with a bang - three debt schemes, one MIP and one diversified equity scheme. And investors flocked to it. Going by the standards at that time, it had a great start in terms of garnering money. Mopping up over Rs 2,000 crore in five schemes was not bad at all. The fund house has not been too successful in the equity arena, in terms of assets. Though it has seven equity schemes, it is debt and cash funds that corner the major portion of the assets. Most of the schemes are pretty new, and the two that have been around for a while have a 3-star rating each. The last two were Fortis Sustainable Development (April 2007), which received a rather poor response, and Fortis China India (October 2007). Fortis Flexi Debt has been one of the better performing funds, after a dismal performance in 2005. It currently has a 5-star rating. None ...
Read more
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
Invest in Tax Saving Mutual Funds Download Any Applications
Transact Mutual Funds Online Invest Online
Buy Gold Mutual Funds Invest Now