To provide relief to small taxpayers from the tedious task of maintaining books of accounts and getting books of accounts audited, the CBDT had introduced the Presumptive Taxation Scheme. Section 44AD is the presumptive taxation scheme for business. A business with turnover up to INR 2 Crore can take the benefit of presumptive taxation under Section 44AD.
Akshay runs a trading business. The gross sales for FY 2019-20 are INR 1.8 Crore. Sales include cash payments of INR 80 lacs and non-cash payments of INR 1 Crore. Total Purchases are of INR 50 lacs. The total expenses are INR 20 lacs that includes a salary, rent, electricity, maintenance, travelling, etc. Can he opt for the Presumptive Taxation Scheme under Section 44AD?
Since the gross sales are less than INR 2 Crore, Akshay can opt for Presumptive Taxation Scheme under Section 44AD.
Pay tax on INR 12,40,000 lacs as per the slab rate.
Do not maintain books of accounts as per Sec 44AA.
Do not go for Tax Audit since the income reported is atleast 6% of gross receipts for digital transactions and atleast 8% of gross receipts for non-digital transactions.
Income Tax on Presumptive Income under Section 44AD
Income Head and Tax Rate – Income under the presumptive taxation scheme is a business income classified under the head PGBP. Such income is taxable at slab rates as per the Income Tax Act.
Claiming Expenses – Since the taxpayer reports a fixed percentage of gross receipts as the income, he/she cannot claim expenses. However, they can claim deductions under Chapter VI-A. Partner’s remuneration and interest on capital can be claimed as an expense in case of a partnership firm opting for presumptive taxation.
Payment of Advance Tax – Taxpayer opting for presumptive taxation scheme under Sec 44AD should pay the entire amount of advance tax on or before 15th March of the financial year. If the advance tax payment is not done before the due date, interest under Section 234C is levied. The interest would be levied only if the tax liability exceeds INR 10,000.
ITR Form – Taxpayers opting for presumptive taxation under Section 44AD should report such income as PGBP Income and file Form ITR 4 on the Income Tax Website. They must mention the specified Business and Profession Codes based on the nature of the profession. If the taxpayer has income from capital gains along with presumptive income, he/she should file Form ITR 3.
Tax Audit and Books of Accounts for Presumptive Income under Section 44AD
Books of Accounts under Sec 44AA – If a taxpayer opts for a presumptive taxation scheme u/s 44AD and reports income at 6%/8% or more of the gross receipts, he/she is not required to maintain books of accounts as per Sec 44AA.
Applicability of Tax Audit – If a taxpayer declares income less than 6%/8% of gross receipts and the total income exceeds INR 2,50,000 (basic exemption limit), he/she should maintain books of accounts and get the books of accounts audited under Section 44AB(e)
As per this rule, if a taxpayer opts for the presumptive taxation scheme in a financial year, he/she should opt for it for the next 5 financial years continuously. However, if the taxpayer fails to do so, he/she would not be able to take the benefit of presumptive taxation scheme for the next 5 financial years. For eg: A professional opts for Sec 44AD for AY 2018-19 and AY 2019-20. However, for AY 2020-21, he does not opt for the presumptive taxation scheme. In this case, he will not be eligible to claim the benefit of the presumptive taxation scheme for the next five AYs, i.e. from AY 2021-22 to AY 2025-26.
FAQs
Do I need to pay advance tax if I opt for the Presumptive Taxation Scheme under Section 44AD?
Yes. If the total tax liability for a financial year exceeds INR 10,000, you must pay advance tax. If you have opted for presumptive taxation scheme u/s 44AD or 44ADA, you are required to pay advance tax on or before 15th March instead of 4 installments in other cases. However, if you fail to pay advance tax by 15th March of the financial year, interest is Sec 234B and Sec 234C is required to be paid.
Do I need to maintain books of accounts if I opt for the Presumptive Taxation Scheme under Section 44AD?
A person engaged in a business having gross sales or turnover up to INR 2 Cr has the option to opt for the Presumptive Taxation Scheme under Sec 44AD. He/she can report 6%/8% or more of gross receipts as income and pay tax on it. If they opt for Presumptive Taxation, they are not required to maintain books of accounts as per Section 44AA. They are also not liable for Tax Audit as per Section 44AB.
Taxpayer does not need to maintain books of accounts as per section 44AA,
Taxpayer does not need to pay advance tax each quarter and can pay it in last installment i.e, by 15th march of the financial year,
Tax audit will not be applicable if professional income is shown under 44ADA,
Taxpayers can file ITR-4 which is simpler than ITR-3.
However, as per section 44ADA, a taxpayer needs to show a minimum 50% of gross receipt or a higher amount claimed to have been earned as income while opting for 44ADA.
Hi @Sankar123,
Following are the benefits of filing under 44ADA:
However, as per section 44ADA, a taxpayer needs to show a minimum 50% of gross receipt or a higher amount claimed to have been earned as income while opting for 44ADA.
Hope this helps