Exemption from Wealth Tax – Reserve Bank of India
Under the existing provisions of the Wealth-tax Act, wealth-tax is levied on individual, HUF and company. The definition of “Company” under the Act includes a corporation established by or under the Central, State or Provincial Act. Therefore, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), being a corporation established under the Central Act, would be deemed as company for the purpose of levy of wealth-tax and shall be liable to pay wealth-tax. However, there is no provision for exempting RBI from the levy of wealth-tax either in the Wealth-tax Act or in Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934.
In order to provide that the RBI is not liable to pay wealth-tax, it is proposed to amend section 45 of the Act to provide that wealth-tax shall not be levied on the net wealth of RBI. This amendment will take effect retrospectively from 1st April, 1957 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 1957-58 and subsequent assessment years.
If RBI is exempted from the wealth tax net then so should every fully owned central government entity