CBDT Directs Employers To Seek Employees' Preferred Tax Regime For TDS Deduction
Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) directs employers to seek employees' preferred tax regime for TDS deduction. If intimation is not made by the employee, it shall be presumed that the employee continues to be in the default tax regime and has not exercised the option to opt out of the new tax regime. Accordingly, in such a case, the employer shall deduct tax at source, on income under section 192 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 (the Act) in accordance with the rates provided under sub-section (lA) of section 115BAC of the Act.
Applicability of new regime
Clarification regarding the deduction of TDS has been inserted under section 115BAC of the Act to provide for a new tax regime with effect from the assessment year beginning on or after the 1st day of April 2024.
This regime applies to an individual or Hindu undivided family or association of persons [other than a cooperative society] or body of individuals, whether incorporated or not, or an artificial juridical person.
Under this new regime, the income tax in respect of the total income of the person shall be computed at the rates provided in sub-section (1 A) of section 115BAC, subject to certain conditions, including the condition that the person does not avail of specified exemptions and deductions.
The above-mentioned new tax regime is the default tax regime applicable to all persons mentioned above. However, under sub-section (6) of section 115BAC of the Act, a person may exercise an option to opt out of this tax regime.
A person not having income from a business or profession can exercise this option every year.
Step taken to prevent confusion
Representations were made to the CBDT expressing concerns regarding tax to be deducted at source (TDS) on the salary income of a person under section 192 of the Act as the deductor, being an employer, would not know if the person, being an employee, would opt out from taxation under sub-section (1 A) of section 115BAC of the Act or not.
In order to avoid genuine hardship in such cases, the Board, in the exercise of powers conferred under section 119 of the Act, has directed that the deductor, being an employer, shall seek information from each of its employees having income under section 192 of the Act regarding their intended tax regime and each such employees shall intimate the same to the deductor, being his employer, regarding his intended tax regime for each year and upon intimation, the deductor shall compute his total income, and deduct tax at source thereon according to the option exercised.
