Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) on payment by Individual/HUF to contractors and professionals under new section 194M
At present there is no liability on an individual or Hindu undivided family (HUF) to deduct tax at source on any payment made to a resident contractor or professional when it is for personal use. Further, if the individual or HUF is carrying on business or profession which is not subjected to audit, there is no obligation to deduct tax at source on such payment to a resident, even if the payment is for the purpose of business or profession. Due to this exemption, substantial amount by way of payments made by individuals or HUFs in respect of contractual work or for professional service is escaping the levy of TDS, leaving a loophole for possible tax evasion. To plug this loophole, it is proposed to insert a new section 194M in the Act to provide for levy of TDS at the rate of five per cent. on the sum, or the aggregate of sums, paid or credited in a year on account of contractual work or professional fees by an individual or a Hindu undivided family, not required to deduct tax at source under section 194C and 194J of the Act, if such sum, or aggregate of such sums, exceeds fifty lakh rupees in a year. However, in order to reduce the compliance burden, it is proposed that such individuals or HUFs shall be able to deposit the tax deducted using their Permanent Account Number (PAN) and shall not be required to obtain Tax deduction Account Number (TAN).
This amendment will take effect from 1st September, 2019.
[Clause 46]
Extract of Clause 46 of Finance Bill 2019
46. Insertion of new sections 194M and 194N.
After section 194LD of the Income-tax Act, the following sections shall be inserted with effect from the 1st day of September, 2019, namely:––
Payment of certain sums by certain individuals or Hindu undivided family
‘194M. (1) Any person, being an individual or a Hindu undivided family (other than those who are required to deduct income-tax as per the provisions of section 194C or section 194J) responsible for paying any sum to any resident for carrying out any work (including supply of labour for carrying out any work) in pursuance of a contract or by way of fees for professional services during the financial year, shall, at the time of credit of such sum or at the time of payment of such sum in cash or by issue of a cheque or draft or by any other mode, whichever is earlier, deduct an amount equal to five per cent. of such sum as income -tax thereon:
Provided that no such deduction under this section shall be made if such sum or, as the case may 25 be, aggregate of such sums, credited or paid to a resident during a financial year does not exceed fifty lakh rupees.
(2) The provisions of section 203A shall not apply to a person required to deduct tax in accordance with the provisions of this section.
Explanation.––For the purposes of this section,–
(a) “contract” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (iii) of the Explanation to section 194C;
(b) “professional services” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (a) of the Explanation to section 194J;
(c) “work” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (iv) of the Explanation to 35 section 194C.
Payment of certain amounts in cash.
194N. Every person, being,––
(i) a banking company to which the Banking Regulation Act, 1949 applies (including any bank cash. or banking institution referred to in section 51 of that Act); 10 of 1949.
(ii) a co-operative society engaged in carrying on the business of banking; or 40
(iii) a post office,
who is responsible for paying any sum, or, as the case may be, aggregate of sums, in cash, in excess of one crore rupees during the previous year, to any person (herein referred to as the recipient) from an account maintained by the recipient with it shall, at the time of payment of such sum, deduct an amount equal to two per cent. of sum exceeding one crore rupees, as income-tax: 45
Provided that nothing contained in this sub-section shall apply to any payment made to,––
(i) the Government;
(ii) any banking company or co-operative society engaged in carrying on the business of banking or a post office;
(iv) any business correspondent of a banking company or co-operative society engaged in carrying on the business of banking, in accordance with the guidelines issued in this regard by the Reserve Bank of India under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934;
(iv) any white label automated teller machine operator of a banking company or co-operative society engaged in carrying on the business of banking, in accordance with the authorisation issued by the Reserve Bank of India under the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007;
(v) such other person or class of persons, which the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India.’.
Note on Clause 46 of Finance Bill 2019
Clause 46 of the Bill seeks to insert new sections 194M relating to payment of certain sums by certain individuals or Hindu undivided family and 194N relating to payment of certain amounts in cash in the Income-tax Act.
Sub-section (1) of the proposed new section 194M seeks to provide for levy of tax deduction at source at the rate of five per cent. on any sum, or aggregate of sums, paid by an individual or a Hindu undivided family (other than those who are required to deduct income-tax as per the provisions of section 194C or section 194J) to a resident for carrying out any work (including supply of labour for carrying out any work) or by way of fees for professional services at the time of credit to the account of the payee or at the time of payment thereof in cash or by issue of a cheque or draft or by any other mode, whichever is earlier.
The proviso to the said sub-section provides that no incometax referred to in sub-section (1) shall be deducted, if such sum or aggregate of such sums paid to a resident does not exceed fifty lakh rupees during the financial year.
Sub-section (2) of the proposed new section 194M seeks to provide that the provisions of section 203A shall not apply to a person required to deduct tax in accordance with the provisions of this section.
The Explanation to the proposed new section also defines the expressions “contract”, “professional services” and “work”.
The proposed new section 194N provides that a banking company or a co-operative society engaged in carrying on the business of banking or a post office, which is responsible for paying any sum or aggregate of sums, in excess of one crore rupees in cash during the previous year to any person (referred to as the recipient in the section) from an account maintained by the recipient with such banking company or co-operative society or post office shall, at the time of payment of such amount, deduct an amount equal to two per cent. of sum exceeding one crore rupees as income-tax.
The proviso to the said section provides that the provisions of the proposed new section shall not apply to any payment made to the Government, any banking company, co-operative society engaged in carrying on the business of banking, post office, business correspondent of a banking company or co-operative society, engaged in carrying the business of banking, any white label automated teller machine operator of a banking company or co-operative society engaged in carrying the business of banking, or such other persons or class of persons, which the Central Government may, specify by notification in consultation with the Reserve Bank of India, These amendments will take effect from 1st September, 2019.
