No tax on cash buy of gold jewellery

Cause of blaze in Maharashtra facility unknown

In a relief to jewellers and customers, the Centre on Tuesday rolled back the 1% tax collection at source (TCS) on cash purchase of gold jewellery of Rs 2 lakh. 

The threshold has now been raised to the earlier limit of Rs 5 lakh. The decision will come into effect from June 1.

Jewellers had gone on a 45-day strike after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his Budget speech in February proposed a 1% excise tax on non-silver jewellery.

However, payment in cash for buying goods and services worth more than Rs 2 lakh except jewellery will attract 1% TCS from Wednesday.

The existing TCS of 1% on cash purchase of jewellery worth over Rs 5 lakh and bullion worth over Rs 2 lakh will continue, tax officials said. “The Income Tax Department has been levying 1% TCS on cash purchase of bullion in excess of Rs 2 lakh and jewellery in excess of Rs 5 lakh since July 1, 2012. The position is maintained and there is no change in the position,” the officials said.

The Finance Minister in his Budget 2016-17 imposed TCS of 1% on goods and services purchased in cash in excess of Rs 2 lakh. Besides, sale of options will also attract increased Securities Transaction Tax (STT) of 0.05% from June 1.

Currently, STT is 0.017%.

In the Budget speech, Jaitley had said: "I also propose to collect tax at source at the rate of 1% on purchase of luxury cars exceeding value of Rs 10 lakh and purchase of goods and services in cash exceeding Rs 2 lakh." "For compliant tax payers with resources, this levy not only advances collection of tax when the expenditure is incurred, but it provides data to tax authorities to identify the persons who incur such expenditure, but may be missing from the tax base," the Minister said.