Budget 2020: Rationalization of tax treatment of employer’s contribution to recognized provident funds (RPFs), superannuation funds and national pension scheme (NPS).
Under the existing provisions of the Act, the contribution by the employer to the account of an employee in a recognized provident fund exceeding twelve per cent. of salary is taxable. Further, the amount of any contribution to an approved superannuation fund by the employer exceeding one lakh fifty thousand rupees is treated as perquisite in the hands of the employee. Similarly, the assessee is allowed a deduction under National Pension Scheme (NPS) for the fourteen per cent. of the salary contributed by the Central Government and ten per cent. of the salary contributed by any other employer. However, there is no combined upper limit for the purpose of deduction on the amount of contribution made by the employer. This is giving undue benefit to employees earning high salary income. While an employee with low salary income is not able to let employer contribute a large part of his salary to all these three funds, employees with high salary income are able to design their salary package in a manner where a large part of their salary is paid by the employer in these three funds. Thus, this portion of salary does not suffer taxation at any point of time, since Exempt-Exempt-Exempt (EEE) regime is followed for these three funds. Thus, not having a combined upper cap is iniquitous and hence, not desirable.
Therefore, it is proposed to provide a combined upper limit of seven lakh and fifty thousand rupee in respect of employer’s contribution in a year to NPS, superannuation fund and recognised provident fund and any excess contribution is proposed to be taxable. Consequently, it is also proposed that any annual accretion by way of interest, dividend or any other amount of similar nature during the previous year to the balance at the credit of the fund or scheme may be treated as perquisite to the extent it relates to the employer’s contribution which is included in total income.
This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2021-22 and subsequent assessment years.
[Clause 13]
Extract of Relevant Clauses of Finance Bill, 2020
Clause 13
“Clause 13 of the Bill seeks to amend section 17 of the Income-tax Act relating to “salary”, “perquisite” and “profits in lieu of salary” defined.
Sub-clause (vii) of clause (2) of the said section provides that the amount of any contribution to an approved superannuation fund by the employer in respect of the assessee, shall be treated as perquisite to the extent it exceeds one lakh and fifty thousand rupees.
It is proposed to amend the provisions of clause (2) of the said section so as to substitute sub-clause (vii) of the said clause to provide that the amount or the aggregate amounts of any contribution made by the employer in respect of the assessee, to the account of an assessee in a recognised provident fund; in the scheme referred to in sub-section (1) of section 80CCD; and in an approved superannuation fund shall be treated as perquisite, to the extent it exceeds seven lakh and fifty thousand rupees in a previous year.
It is further proposed to insert a new sub-clause (viia) in the said clause (2) so as to provide that annual accretion by way of interest, dividend or any other amount of similar nature during the previous year to the balance at the credit of the fund or scheme referred to in sub-clause (vii) may also be treated as perquisite to the extent it relates to the contribution referred to in the said new sub-clause (vii), which is included in total income and shall be computed in the prescribed manner.
These amendments will take effect from 1st April, 2021 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2021-2022 and subsequent assessment years.”
Extract of Relevant Amendment Proposed by Finance Bill, 2020
13. Amendment of section 17.
In section 17 of the Income-tax Act, in clause (2), for sub-clause (vii), the following sub-clauses shall be substituted with effect from the 1st day of April, 2021, namely:––
“(vii) the amount or the aggregate of amounts of any contribution made to the account of the assessee by the employer––
(a) in a recognised provident fund;
(b) in the scheme referred to in sub-section (1) of section 80CCD; and
(c) in an approved superannuation fund, to the extent it exceeds seven lakh and fifty thousand rupees in a previous year;
“(viia) the annual accretion by way of interest, dividend or any other amount of similar nature during the previous year to the balance at the credit of the fund or scheme referred to in sub-clause (vii) to the extent it relates to the contribution referred to in the said sub-clause which is included in total income under the said sub-clause in any previous year computed in such manner as may be prescribed; and”.
