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  April 1, which marks the beginning of a new financial year, is when many income tax rules usually come into effect (unless stated otherwise). Even if income tax rules are announced in the Union Budget or the middle of a financial year, they mostly come into force when the new financial year starts. This year, the government announced no changes in the income tax laws for FY 2024-25 during the interim budget. Hence, all income tax rules of the previous financial year remain.   Here is a ready reckoner of the income tax rules that will remain applicable from April 1, 2024.   1. Choose between the old and new tax regimes:  For TDS (tax deducted at source) on salary, the employee is required to choose between the old and new tax regimes. Remember, the new tax regime is the default tax regime option. If you do not inform your employer that you want to opt for the old tax regime, your employer will deduct tax from salary income based on the new tax regime. Do it as soon ...

  The Reserve Bank on Thursday issued revised norms to streamline the process of bill payments, enable greater participation, and enhance customer protection. The central bank has issued the revised 'Reserve Bank of India (Bharat Bill Payment System) Directions, 2024' as it felt there was a need to update the existing regulations in view of significant developments in the payments landscape. "These directions seek to streamline the process of bill payments, enable greater participation, and enhance customer protection among other changes," RBI said. These directions will be applicable from April 1, 2024 to banks, NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited and other non-bank payment system participants. Bharat Bill Payment System (BBPS) is an integrated bill payment platform which enables payment or collection of bills through multiple channels using various payment modes, like UPI, internet banking, cards, cash, and prepaid payment instruments. The channels include mobile apps, mobi...

  Capital markets regulator Sebi on Thursday slapped a fine of Rs 48 lakh on eight entities, including promoters of United Polyfab Gujarat Ltd (UPGL), for manipulating the share prices of the company. These entities have to pay the penalty jointly and severally within 45 days, as per an order. The order came after Sebi conducted an investigation of UPGL and trading by certain entities in the scrip of the company, to ascertain whether there was any violation of the provisions of the PFUTP (Prohibition of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices) rules. Based on the findings of the probe in the matter of trading by certain entities in the scrip of UPGL, the regulator initiated adjudication proceedings against these entities. Thereafter, the regulator issued a common show cause notice to the noticees on July 18, 2023. "...UPGL and Gagan Nirmalkumar Mittal in collusion with other Noticees i.e. Shiv Marketing and Trading, Vishwakarma Trading House, Anilkumar Mangalchand Mittal, Amay Spinc...

  India's market regulator has asked money managers to consider restricting one-off investments from clients in small- and mid-cap stock mutual funds and cut commissions offered for their sale, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said. The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) communicated this to the money managers in a meeting earlier this month, the sources, who included a regulatory official, said. The regulator did not specify the quantum of flows it wants restricted, they said. SEBI's communication shows heightened regulatory concern on the surging inflows into Indian small- and mid-cap mutual funds and any potential ripple effects on the financial system if investors suddenly started to yank their money from them. In India, small-cap stocks are defined as those with market capitalisation of less than 50 billion rupees ($603.05 million) while mid-cap stocks are those with market values of between 50 billion and 200 billion rupees. Small- and mid-cap st...

  The NDA government in Bihar on Thursday came out with a 'one-time settlement' initiative for the benefit of traders with tax liabilities dating back to the pre-GST era. The Bihar Tax Disputes Settlement Bill, 2024 was tabled in the state assembly by Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, who also holds the finance portfolio. The Bill was passed in the assembly through voice vote, and, according to Choudhary, once notified, "it will bring great relief to traders with pre-GST tax liabilities". "The Bill provides traders with an opportunity to settle their pre-GST tax liabilities through the one-time settlement scheme. It would require traders to pay 10 per cent of the penalty and the remaining 90 per cent will be waived. In addition, traders will have to pay 35 per cent of the disputed tax amount to get a waiver of the remaining 65 per cent," said Choudhary. "Traders will have to pay both 10 per cent of the interest and penalty and 35 per cent of the d...

  No changes in the income tax slabs for the upcoming financial year, 2024-25, have been announced in the interim budget 2024 by the finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her speech. Under the income tax laws, an individual (not having any business income) is required to choose between the new and old tax regimes every year. Hence, an individual can choose the new tax regime one year and the old tax regime the next. It is important to note that a large number of changes were made in Budget 2023 in the new tax regime. The income tax slab changes announced in Budget 2023 are effective for the financial year between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, and are set to remain unchanged for FY 2024-25 (April 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025).   Current income tax slabs under new tax regime Income tax slabs (In Rs) Income tax rate (%) Up to 3,00,000 0 3,00,001-6,00,000 5% 6,00,001-9,00,000 10% 9,00,001-12,00,000 15% 12,00,001-15,00,000 20% Above 15,00,001 30%   Here are the income tax ...

  Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections jumped 10.4 per cent to over Rs 1.72 trillion in January, the finance ministry said on Wednesday. This is the second-highest monthly collection ever and marks the third month in this financial year with a collection of Rs 1.70 trillion or more. "The gross GST revenue collected in the month of January 2024 (till 05:00 PM of 31.01.2024) is Rs 1,72,129 crore, which shows a 10.4 per cent y-o-y growth over the revenue of Rs 1,55,922 crore collected in January 2023 (till 05:00 PM on 31.01.2023)," the ministry said. During the April 2023-January 2024 period, cumulative gross GST collection witnessed 11.6 per cent year-on-year growth (till 05:00 PM of 31.01.2024), reaching Rs 16.69 trillion against Rs 14.96 trillion collected in the same period of the previous year(April 2022-January 2023). The highest-ever monthly GST collection was recorded in April 2023 at Rs 1.87 trillion.   -Business Standard 01 st  Feb, 2024.

  The Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) Digital Payments Index, a measure of the extent of digitisation of payments across the country, increased to 418.77 in September 2023 from 395.57 in March 2023. “The RBI-DPI index has increased across all parameters and was driven particularly by growth in payment enablers, payment performance, and consumer centricity across the country over the period,” the central bank said in a release. The RBI-DPI has been constructed with March 2018 as the base period, that is, the DPI score for March 2018 is set at 100. In September 2019, the index stood at 173.49, which rose to 217.74 in September 2020, and to 304.06 in September 2021. The RBI-DPI comprises five broad parameters that measure the penetration of digital payments in the country over different time periods. These parameters include Payment Enablers (weight 25 per cent), Payment Infrastructure – Demand-side factors (10 per cent), Payment Infrastructure – Supply-side factors (15 per cent), Payme...

  Starting from February 29, Paytm Payments Bank won't be able to accept new users. If you're not already using Paytm, you can't create a new account after this date. Existing users won't be able to use Paytm wallets, Fastags, or Mobility Cards after this date. This is because the Reserve Bank of India has barred the listed fintech’s payment bank from offering banking services after February. The action against One 97 Communications, the parent company that runs Paytm, is due to “non-compliance and continued material supervisory concerns in the bank,” RBI said. Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) is an associate company of PAYTM and has over 100 million KYC customers. It also has 300 million wallet users, 30 million bank account holders and a 17 per cent market share in FASTag by value.While the regulator had earlier banned new customer on-boarding at PPBL, the latest actions prohibit Paytm from undertaking any credit or deposit transaction after 29 February, 2024. The centr...

  India's markets regulator is looking at whether local mutual fund schemes investing in small and mid-cap stocks would be able to withstand sharp falls in stock prices or sudden outflows, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Such funds have seen heavy inflows over the past year, pushing up the prices of small and mid-cap stocks and raising the risks of a steep correction should market conditions suddenly deteriorate. In talks with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) this month, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) asked for small and mid-cap funds' internal stress tests so it could determine if they would have adequate liquidity to meet any large outflows, the sources said. While SEBI has completed one round of stress test reviews, it wants funds to test for more adverse scenarios, said one of the sources. The sources declined to be identified as discussions with the regulator were confidential.   SEBI and AMFI did not respond...