In a bid to boost entrepreneurship, Indian government scraps angel tax for investors funding startups
Advertisement
Advertisement
Under its ambitious plan to boost entrepreneurship and job creation in India, the government has removed the so-called 'Funding to startups, notified under the government-approved plan announced by PM
Under existing rules, funds raised by an unlisted company through equity issuance are covered under this tax to the extent the amount is in excess of the fair market value.
Such extra inflow is taxable as "income from other sources" under Section 56(2) of the Income-Tax Act and charged the corporate tax rate, resulting in an effective tax of over 30%. The venture capital industry has been lobbying for removal of this tax, terming it a big deterrent to investments.
In many cases, the valuation of startups is far in excess of market value as it is based on the promise of the idea and not the immediate worth. In such a case, the startup would end up losing a chunk of the inflow to this 'angel tax'. The Central Board of Direct
Advertisement
"This has been long awaited and is a very welcome step. The abolition of this so-called 'angel tax' has been a long-standing demand of the industry," said Amit Maheshwari, partner, Ashok Maheshwary &Associates LLP. However, earlier investments can still be questioned by tax officers as being overvalued in the light of declining valuations globally and in India, he said.
Image credit: Indiatimes
Advertisement
Advertisement
- Fresh photographs of Milky Way’s black hole Sgr A* reveal strong, twisted magnetic field similar to M87*
- 8 Lesser-known places to explore in Himachal Pradesh
- Markets end FY24 on buoyant note amid positive global cues
- SRM Contractors IPO allotment – How to check allotment, GMP, listing date and more
- Rupee falls 6 paise to settle at 83.39 against US dollar