Tax free work from home allowances for salaried employees likely in Budget

New Delhi, Jan 30 The upcoming Budget might increase the standard deduction. The figure could be doubled to Rs 1 lakh from the present Rs 50,000.

Budget 2022 might also introduce tax-free work-from-home allowances for salaried employees. Higher deductions for such expenses would increase the take-home salary. Also, direct tax collection has been robust in FY22. This can allow for greater limits for tax deductions, William O' Neil India, a company that provides financial services and information said in a note.

In Budget 2021, the Finance Minister introduced a new tax regime. However, this regime offered no major benefits. According to consensus, most taxpayers are continuing with the old regime and were unwilling to move to the new one as they cannot avail of any investment benefits under the new regime. In Budget 2021, income tax slabs remained untouched.

This time, there are expectations the tax-free slab could be increased from the current Rs 0-2.5 lakh. If personal income tax is reduced, there would be more disposable income, which in turn would encourage consumption. With increased GST-compliance, the government can thus certainly boost the share of indirect taxes collected, the report said.

With an eye on elections, the rural economy could receive higher allocations. Around 25 per cent of the country's rural population is in the five states going to polls in February-March. So, it is expected that the government would maintain elevated rural and agriculture welfare spending. The government could focus on welfare spending such as food subsidies, MGNREGA, PM-Kisan, and fertilizer subsidies. Employment has been a key issue. MGNREGA being a labour market shock-absorber, the FM could raise the wages and also the number of workdays. Despite several efforts, farmers' income has not increased as expected. So the government could take further steps to improve the income of farmers, the report said.

In 2004, security transaction tax

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