Skip to main content

Individual angels may get tax relief too

Individual angels may get tax relief too
The government is considering exempting investments made by individuals in certain startups from the so-called angel tax to provide a level playing field with other angel investors and to nudge high net worth individuals to back innovation.The Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion is working with the finance ministry on the details of the proposed exemption.
The department has held several meetings with angel investor networks and startups to finalise the new framework. “We felt that investments by individuals who may not be part of the angel network also deserve to get the tax benefit since they are also playing a role in building the startup ecosystem in the country,” a senior government official told ET.
Angel tax of about 30% is levied on the amount that exceeds the fair market value of shares issued by unlisted companies, which is treated as income from other sources. However, the levy has startups concerned over the possibility of discouraging investments and leaving them open to harassment by income tax officials.
Introduced in the Finance Act of 2012 by the then FM Pranab Mukherjee, the angel tax was aimed at curbing money laundering through the purchase of shares at a high premium. Startups incorporated after 2016 and recognised under the Startup India policy are already spared the angel tax. The government had been working on framing a policy to exempt startups receiving up to Rs 10 crore in angel investment and those set up before 2016 from the tax, ET had reported earlier.
The department has recognised 7,578 startups so far and has provided funding support to 75 of them. However, several startups have received notices to pay angel tax amid ambiguity over how to assess the fair value of shares, a grey area that’s acknowledged by the Startup India Action Plan, a government initiative introduced in January 2016 to accelerate the spread of startups in the country.
“In the context of startups, where the idea is at a conceptualisation or development stage, it is often difficult to determine the fair market value of such shares. In majority of the cases, FMV is also significantly lower than the value at which the capital investment is made,” the Startup India Action Plan stated.Earlier this month, the country’s apex direct taxes body provided some relief to startups that were asked to pay angel tax. “No coercive measure to recover the outstanding demand would be taken,” the Central Board of Direct Taxes told its officials in a letter.
The Business Standard, New Delhi, 27th February 2018

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Credit card spending growth declines on RBI gaze, stress build-up

  Credit card spends have further slowed down to 16.6 per cent in the current financial year (FY25), following the Reserve Bank of India’s tightening of unsecured lending norms and rising delinquencies, and increased stress in the portfolio.Typically, during the festival season (September–December), credit card spends peak as several credit card-issuing banks offer discounts and cashbacks on e-commerce and other platforms. This is a reversal of trend in the past three financial years stretching to FY21 due to RBI’s restrictions.In the previous financial year (FY24), credit card spends rose by 27.8 per cent, but were low compared to FY23 which surged by 47.5 per cent. In FY22, the spending increased 54.1 per cent, according to data compiled by Macquarie Research.ICICI Bank recorded 4.4 per cent gross credit losses in its FY24 credit card portfolio as against 3.2 per cent year-on-year. SBI Cards’ credit losses in the segment stood at 7.4 per cent in FY24 and 6.2 per cent in FY23, the...

SFBs should be vigilant, proactive to mitigate risks: RBI deputy guv

  The Reserve Bank of India’s Deputy Governor Swaminathan J on Friday instructed the directors of small finance banks (SFBs) to be vigilant and proactive in identifying emerging risks in the sector.Speaking at a conference for directors on the boards of SFBs, Swaminathan highlighted the role of governance in guiding SFBs towards sustainable growth with stability. He also emphasised the importance of sustainable business models.Additionally, he highlighted the need for strengthening cybersecurity to protect the entities against digital threats and urged for a stronger focus on financial inclusion, customer service, and grievance redressal to ensure a broader reach of banking services.Executive Directors S C Murmu, Rohit Jain, and R L K Rao, along with other senior officials representing the Supervision, Regulation, and Enforcement Departments of the RBI, also participated in the conference.   -  Business Standard  30 th  September, 2024

Brigade Hotel Ventures files draft papers with Sebi for Rs 900 crore IPO

  Brigade Hotel Ventures Ltd, owner and developer of hotels in South India, has filed draft papers with capital markets regulator Sebi to raise Rs 900 crore through an initial public offering (IPO).The proposed IPO is entirely a fresh issue of equity shares with no Offer-for-Sale (OFS) component, according to the draft red herring prospectus (DRHP).Proceeds from the issue to the tune of Rs 481 crore will go towards payment of debt, Rs 412 crore will be allocated to the company and Rs 69 crore to its material subsidiary, SRP Prosperita Hotel Ventures Ltd.Additionally, Rs 107.52 crore will be used to purchase an undivided share of land from the Promoter, BEL, and the remaining funds will support acquisitions, other strategic initiatives, and general corporate purposes.The company may raise up to Rs 180 crore through a Pre-IPO Placement.   If the placement is undertaken, the issue size will be reduced.Brigade Hotel Ventures Ltd is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brigade Enterprises ...