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Saturday, 10 March 2012

Salient Features of DTC


            The  salient  features  of  the  code  are  as follows:
(i)         It consolidates and integrates all direct tax laws and replaces both the Income  Tax  Act,  1961  and  the  Wealth  Tax  Act,  1957  by  a  single legislation.

(ii)        It  simplifies  the  language  of  the  legislation.  The  use  of  direct,  active speech,  expressing  only  a  single  point  through  one  sub-section  and rearranging the provisions into a rational structure will assist a lay person to understand the provisions of the Direct Taxes Code (DTC).


(iii)       It indicates stability in direct tax rates. Currently, the rates of tax for a particular year are stipulated in the Finance Act for that relevant year. Therefore,  even if there is no change proposed in the rates of tax, the Finance Bill has still to be passed indicating the same rates of tax. Under the Code, all rates of taxes are proposed to be prescribed in Schedules to the  Code, thereby obviating the need  for  annual finance bill, if  no change in the tax rate is proposed.

(iv)       One of the key aims of tax code is to provide a system which takes into accoun increased  cross  border  mergers  and  acquisition  by  Indian corporates.

(v)    It is also expected to streamline tax rates and administration for foreign institutional investors.

(vi)       It strengthens taxation provisions for international transactions.  This has been  reflected  in the new provisions. The salient new provisions with regard to international taxation are :
(a)       Introduction  of  Advance  Pricing  Agreements  for  International
Transactions

(b)       Alignment of concept of residence  (of a Company) with India‘s tax treaties            by introduction of    concept    of    ―place     of    effective management‖ instead of wholly controlled in India.
(c)        Controlled Foreign Company Regulations

(d)       Introduction of Branch Profit Tax  on foreign companies in lieu of higher rate of taxation.
(e)       Introduction  of  General  Anti  Avoidance  Rule  (GAAR)    to  curb aggressive tax planning.
(vii)      Rationalizing exemptions.

(viii)     Replace profit linked tax incentives with investment linked incentive
 (ix)     Simplification of Appellate Procedure for Public Sector Undertakings

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