Increase in the Basic Income Tax Exemption Limits for Individuals – To compensate partially for rising inflation it would be right move if govt. increases basic exemption limit from the current Rs. 180,000 to Rs. 3,00,000/-. The education cess of 3% is expected to be abolished. Similarly, the basic exemption limits for women and senior citizens may also be correspondingly increased.

The economic growth is now expected to be marginally over 7 percent, though capital formation and investments have slowed down, global economic and financial conditions are under pressure, inflation has declined but still a cause of worry and fiscal deficit continues to be of concern. In this backdrop, it is no body’s guess as to what the forthcoming budget is going to be.

The Union Budget 2012-13 date is out. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will address Parliament on March 16, a minister said on Tuesday. Parliamentary affairs minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said the Budget session of Parliament will start on March 12, with the Railway Budget slated to be presented on March 14.

The Budget 2012-13 will be announced on March 16, 2012 by the Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. There are a lot of expectations from Budget as the economy of the country is not yet stable and after effects of recession can still be felt. The European Union economic crisis is also having a negative effect on the Indian economy

The members of the Committee representing different fields made various suggestions to improve tax administration, better taxpayer services and impetus to the economy. The suggestions among others include to extend the Section 80CCF of Income tax Act of deduction for investment in the infrastructure bonds introduced from 1.4.2011 to be extended at least for one more year and the monetary limit to be enhanced to Rs 50 thousand. Sub members suggested to curb black money in real estate transactions, relief to the salaried employees by retaining the standard deduction under Section 16 of Income Tax Act for a sum of Rs 50 thousand and benefit of nil TDS be extended to NBFCs under Section 194A of Income Tax Act.

Government is contemplating to enhance income tax exemption for up to Rs 3 lakh paid as interest on housing loans in a year, from the existing limit of Rs 1.5 lakh. The Budget is scheduled to be tabled on March 16.

Reeling under the impact of global slowdown and a high interest rate regime, India Inc on Monday demanded that tax rates be retained at existing levels even as finance minister Pranab Mukherjee expressed concerns about challenges facing the economy.In their customary pre-Budget meeting with Mukherjee, industry leaders also demanded that healthcare services be kept outside service tax ambit, and privatise coal mines.

The Union Budget, delayed because of elections in five states, will now be presented on March 16, four days after Parliament will begin its Budget session. The budget session, which normally commences in the third week of February, will start on March 12 with President Pratibha Patil addressing the joint sitting of members of both the Houses of Parliament.

The government is likely to provide some relief to individual income tax payers in the forthcoming Budget by raising the exemption limit to Rs 2 lakh, as provided in the Direct Taxes Code (DTC), and hiking the slabs for different tax brackets.The possibility of lowering the tax rates, however, is remote in view of the fiscal constraints being faced by the government, sources said, adding that the government will take on board some of the key recommendations of the DTC.

The government is expected to keep 22 services in the negative list and impose 10 per cent tax on the rest, sources said, adding that services for the purpose would be defined as all kinds of economic activities, barring goods, money and immovable property.