Planning To Opt For New Tax Regime? Notify Your Employer Says CBDT

Providing clarification to taxpayers, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) said that those who wise to opt for the concessional income tax rates proposed in the Union Budget 2020 will need to notify their respective employers. It also said that once the intimation has been applied for the year, it cannot be modified but one can make changes while filing ITR.

In its circular, dated 13 April 2020, the CBDT said, "In order to avoid genuine hardships, the Board clarifies that an employee having income other than the income under the head of 'profit and gains of business or profession' and intending to opt for the concessional rate under section 115BAC of the Act, may intimate the employer, of such intention for each previous year and upon such intimation, the deductor shall compute his total income, and make TDS thereon in accordance with the provisions of section 115BAC of the Act."

"If such intimation is not made by the employee, the employer shall make TDS without considering the provision of section 115BAC of the Act," it said.

"It is also clarified that the intimation so made to the deductor shall be only for purposes of TDS during the previous year and cannot be modified during that year," it added.

But one will be able to change the option at the time of filing the tax returns for that year as the circular also said, "However, the intimation would not amount to exercising option in terms of sub-section (5) of section 115BAC of the Act and the person shall be required to do so along with the return to be furnished under sub-section (1) of section 139 of the Act could be different from the intimation made by such employee to the employer for the previous year.