Tax Deduction at Source (TDS) on purchase of goods

Chapter XVIIB of the Act relates to deduction of tax at source. The provisions of this chapter provide for TDS on various payments at rates contained therein. It is proposed to provide for TDS by person responsible for paying any sum to any resident for purchase of goods. The rate of TDS is kept very low at 0.1%. To ensure that compliance burden is only on those who can comply with it, it is proposed that the tax is only required to be deducted by those person (i.e ―buyer) whose total sales, gross receipts or turnover from the business carried on by him exceed ten crore rupees during the financial year immediately preceding the financial year in which the purchase of goods is carried out. Central Government is proposed to be empowered by notification in the Official Gazette to exempt a person from obligation under this section on fulfilment of conditions as may be specified in that notification. Tax is required to be deducted by such person, if the purchase of goods by him from the seller is of the value or aggregate of such value exceeding fifty lakh rupees in the previous year. It is also proposed to provide that the provisions of this section shall not apply to,-

(i) a transaction on which tax is deductible under any provision of the Act; and

(ii) a transaction, on which tax is collectible under the provisions of section 206C other than transaction to which sub-section (1H) of section 206C applies.

This means, if on a transaction a TDS or tax collection at source (TCS) is required to be carried out under any other provision, then it would not be subjected to TDS under this section. There is one exception to this general rule. If on a transaction TCS is required under sub-section (1H) of section 206C as well as TDS under this section, then on that transaction only TDS under this section shall be carried out.

Board with the approval of the Central Government has been empowered to issue guidelines for removing difficulty in giving effect to the provisions of this section.

Every guideline issued by the Board is required to be laid before each House of Parliament, and shall be binding on the income-tax authorities and the person liable to deduct tax

It is also proposed to consequentially amend sub-section (1) of section 206AA of the Act and insert second proviso to further provide that where the tax is required to be deducted under section 194Q and Permanent Account Number (PAN) is not provided, the TDS shall be at the rate of five per cent.

These amendments will take effect from 1st July, 2021.

[Clauses 48 and 50]

Text of the Relevant Clause of the Finance Bill 2021

Clause 48 of the Bill seeks to insert a new section 194Q in the Income-tax Act relating the deduction of tax at source on payment of certain sum for purchase of goods.

Sub-section (1) of the proposed new section seeks to provide that any person, being a buyer who is responsible for paying any sum to any resident (hereafter in this section referred to as the seller) for purchase of any goods of the value or aggregate of such value exceeding fifty lakh rupees in any previous year, shall, at the time of credit of such sum to the account of the seller or at the time of payment thereof by any mode, whichever is earlier, deduct an amount equal to 0.1 per cent. of such sum exceeding fifty lakh rupees as income-tax.

The Explanation to the proposed sub-section (1) seeks to define “buyer” to mean a person whose total sales, gross receipts or turnover from the business carried on by him exceed ten crore rupees during the financial year immediately preceding the financial year in which the purchase of goods is carried out, not being a person, as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify for this purpose, subject to such conditions as may be specified therein.

Sub-section (2) thereof section seeks to provide that where any sum referred to in sub­section (1) is credited to any account, whether called “Suspense account” or by any other name, in the books of account of the person liable to pay such income, such credit of income shall be deemed to be a credit of such income to the account of the payee and the provisions of this section shall apply accordingly.

Sub-section (3) thereof seeks to provide that if any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of the said section, the Board may, with the previous approval of the Central Government, issue guidelines for the purpose of removing the difficulty.

Sub-section (4) thereof seeks to provide that every guideline issued by the Board under sub-section (3) shall be laid before each House of Parliament, and shall be binding on the income-tax authorities and the person liable to deduct tax.

Sub-section (5) thereof seeks to provide that the provisions of the proposed section shall not apply to a transaction on which––

(a) tax is deductible under any of the provisions of this Act; and

(b) tax is collectible under the provisions of section 206C other than a transaction to which sub-section (1H) of section 206C applies.

This amendment will take effect from 1st July, 2021.

Clause 50 of the Bill seeks to amend section 206AA of the Income-tax Act relating to requirement to furnish Permanent Account Number.

Sub-section (1) of the said section provides that notwithstanding anything contained in any other provisions of this Act, any person entitled to receive any sum or income or amount, on which tax is deductible under Chapter XVIIB (hereafter referred to as deductee) shall furnish his Permanent Account Number to the person responsible for deducting such tax (hereafter referred to as deductor), failing which tax shall be deducted at the higher of the following rates namely, at the rate specified in the relevant provision of this Act; or at the rate or rates in force; or at the rate of twenty per cent.

It is proposed to insert the second proviso so as to provide that where the tax is required to be deducted under section 194Q, the provisions of clause (iii) shall apply as if for the words “twenty per cent.”, the words “five per cent.” had been substituted.

This amendment will take effect from 1st July, 2021.