Tax, STT and Windfall tax.

The only thing certain about Tax is, it is always taxing.

India abolished LTCG(Long Term Capital Gains) tax some years back while STT(Securities Transaction Tax) was introduced. After few years Arun Jaitley,the then FM at the Central Govt, thought it fit to reintroduce LTCG Tax from Fy 18-19, with an exemption if STT had been paid on the transaction. Now many Economists have recommended for abolition of LTCG tax showing the distortion it brings in transactions involving Digital Gold, unlisted shares and the black money generation it encourages in all and sundry especially in Real estate transactions.

The arguments against LTCG Tax are strong and valid. The vagueness it brings in matters of valuation brings lot of confusion and uncertainty giving the incentive to hide part of the consideration received. What demo wanted to flush out, LTCG Tax has encouraged inadvertently. It has sent wrong signals across the economy.

What is the remedy then. One simple alternative is to bring Transaction Tax similar to STT as Gold Transaction Tax and Real Estate Transaction Tax.

Recently Mohandas Pai, on LTCG Tax wrote a column in FE correctly stating that LTCG Tax is anathema to simpler taxation philosophy since it creates a mindset of evasion among tax payers.He has called for abolition of LTCG tax forthwith by rightly pointing out few perverse taxing rates especially with ref. to LTCG tax rates on the sale of unlisted shares.

Once LTCG Tax is abolished Central Govt may want another avenue for Tax revenue and for that I would recommend Gold Transaction Tax and Real Estate Transaction Tax on the same lines that of STT. These Taxes will be much simpler to comprehend and easier to comply with. Even administering it by IT dept will be easier.

Now there is a clamor for a Windfall tax from the stock exchange transactions, as people who dabble in Stock exchanges are generally from well off sections of the society. When the whole nation is battling pandemic induced economic woes, it is quite natural to expect the group of well-heeled rich to contribute something extra by way of tax to the country's cause in fighting this economic downturn. But this windfall tax must be a one-time tax or it can be a temporary increase in STT for 2/3 years.

My preference would be for a temporary increase in STT for 2/3 years.

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