Saturday, July 14, 2012

Know Your Income Tax Deduction

80C

Nature of Deduction:
This section has been introduced by the Finance Act, 2005. Broadly speaking, this section provides deduction from total income in respect of various investments/expenditures/payments in respect of which tax rebate u/s 88 was earlier available. The total deduction under this section is limited to Rs.1 lakh only.

80CCC

Nature of Deduction:
Payment of premium for annunity plan of LIC or any other insurer Deduction is available upto a maximum of Rs.10,000/-
Remarks:
The premium must be deposited to keep in force a contract for an annuity plan of the LIC or any other insurer for receiving pension from the fund.The Finance Act 2006 has enhanced the ceiling of deduction under Section 80CCC from Rs.10,000 to Rs.1,00,000 with effect from 1.4.2007.

80CCD

Nature of Deduction:
Deposit made by an employee in his pension account to the extent of 10% of his salary.
Remarks:
Where the Central Government makes any contribution to the pension account, deduction of such contribution to the extent of 10% of salary shall be allowed. Further, in any year where any amount is received from the pension account such amount shall be charged to tax as income of that previous year. The Finance Act, 2009 has extended benefit to any individual assesse, not being a Central Government employee.

80CCF

Nature of Deduction:
Subscription to long term infrastructure bonds.
Remarks:
Subscription made by individual or HUF to the extent of Rs. 20,000 to notified long term infrastructure bonds was exempt for the financial year 2010-11 and 2011-12. However, the exemption is no longer present from financial year 2012-13.

80D

Nature of Deduction:
Payment of medical insurance premium. Deduction is available upto Rs.15,000/ for self/ family and also upto Rs. 15,000/- for insurance in respect of parent/ parents of the assessee.
Remarks:
The premium is to be paid by any mode of payment other than cash and the insurance scheme should be framed by the General Insurance Corporation of India & approved by the Central Govt. or Scheme framed by any other insurer and approved by the Insurance Regulatory & Development Authority. The premium should be paid in respect of health insurance of the assessee or his family members. The Finance Act 2008 has also provided deduction upto Rs. 15,000/- in respect of health insurance premium paid by the assessee towards his parent/parents. W.e.f. 01.04.2011, contributions made to the Central Government Health Scheme is also covered under this section.

80DD

Nature of Deduction:
Deduction of Rs.40,000/ - in respect of (a) expenditure incurred on medical treatment, (including nursing), training and rehabilitation of handicapped dependant relative. (b) Payment or deposit to specified scheme for maintenance of dependant handicapped relative. W.e.f. 01.04.2004 the deduction under this section has been enhanced to Rs.50,000/-. Further, if the dependant is a person with severe disability a deduction of Rs.1,00,000/- shall be available under this section.
Remarks:
The handicapped dependant should be a dependant relative suffering from a permanent disability (including blindness) or mentally retarded, as certified by a specified physician or psychiatrist. Note: A person with severe disability means a person with 80% or more of one or more disabilities as outlined in section 56(4) of the “Persons with Disabilities (Equal opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act.

80DDB

Nature of Deduction:
Deduction of Rs.40,000 in respect of medical expenditure incurred. W.e.f. 01.04.2004, deduction under this section shall be available to the extent of Rs.40,000/- or the amount actually paid, whichever is less. In case of senior citizens, a deduction upto Rs.60,000/- shall be available under this Section.
Remarks:
Expenditure must be actually incurred by resident assessee on himself or dependent relative for medical treatment of specified disease or ailment. The diseases have been specified in Rule 11DD. A certificate in form 10 I is to be furnished by the assessee from a specialist working in a Government hospital.

80E

Nature of Deduction:
Deduction in respect of payment in the previous year of interest on loan taken from a financial institution or approved charitable institution for higher studies.
Remarks:
This provision has been introduced to provide relief to students taking loans for higher studies. The payment of the interest thereon will be allowed as deduction over a period of upto 8 years. Further, by Finance Act, 2007 deduction under this section shall be available not only in respect of loan for pursuing higher education by self but also by spouse or children of the assessee. W.e.f.01.04.2010 higher education means any course of study pursued after passing the senior secondary examination or its equivalent from any recognized school, board or university.

80G

Nature of Deduction:
Donation to certain funds, charitable institutions etc.
Remarks:
The various donations specified in Sec. 80G are eligible for deduction upto either 100% or 50% with or without restriction as provided in Sec. 80G.

80GG

Nature of Deduction:
Deduction available is the least of (i) Rent paid less 10% of total income (ii) Rs.2000 per month (iii) 25% of total income
Remarks:
(1) Assessee or his spouse or minor child should not own residential accommodation at the place of employment. (2) He should not be in receipt of house rent allowance. (3) He should not have a self occupied residential premises in any other place.

80U

Nature of Deduction:
Deduction of Rs.50,000/- to an individual who suffers from a physical disability (including blindness) or mental retardation.Further, if the individual is a person with severe disability, deduction of Rs.75,000/- shall be available u/s 80U. W.e.f. 01.04.2010 this limit has been raised to Rs. 1 lakh.
Remarks:
Certificate should be obtained on prescribed format from a notified ‘Medical authority’.

80RRB

Nature of Deduction:
Deduction in respect of any income by way of royalty in respect of a patent registered on or after 01.04.2003 under the Patents Act 1970 shall be available as :-Rs. 3 lacs or the income received, whichever is less.
Remarks:
The assessee who is a patentee must be an individual resident in India. The assessee must furnish a certificate in the prescribed form duly signed by the prescribed authority alongwith the return of income.

80QQB

Nature of Deduction:
Deduction in respect of royalty or copyright income received in consideration for authoring any book of literary, artistic or scientific nature other than text book shall be available to the extent of Rs. 3 lacs or income received, whichever is less.
Remarks:
The assessee must be an individual resident in India who receives such income in exercise of his profession. To avail of this deduction, the assessee must furnish a certificate in the prescribed form along with the return of income.

Writer Apurv Gourav is a part time Financial Planning Consultant with Birla Sun Life. He is also pursuing Certified Financial Planning. 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

10 tips to become a SMART stock market INVESTOR

Morningstar.in
We've boiled down some of our most salient observations into 10 suggestions we think will make you a better stock investor.
At Morningstar globally, our analyst staff has about a thousand years of collective investment experience. Here, we've boiled down some of our most salient observations into 10 suggestions we think will make you a better stock investor.
1. Keep it simple
Keeping it simple in investing is not stupid. Seventeenth-century philosopher Blaise Pascal once said, 'All man's miseries derive from not being able to sit quietly in a room alone'. This aptly describes the investing process.
Those who trade too often, focus on irrelevant data points, or try to predict the unpredictable, and are likely to encounter some unpleasant surprises when investing.
By keeping it simple -- focusing on companies with economic moats, requiring a margin of safety when buying, and investing with a long-term horizon -- you can greatly enhance your odds of success.
2. Have the proper expectations
Are you getting into stocks with the expectation that quick riches soon await? Hate to be a wet blanket, but unless you are extremely lucky, you will not double your money in the next year investing in stocks.
Such returns generally cannot be achieved unless you take on a great deal of risk by, for instance, buying extensively on margin or taking a flier on a chancy security. At this point, you have crossed the line from investing into speculating.
Though stocks have historically been the highest-return asset class, this still means returns in the 10 per cent to 12 per cent range. These returns have also come with a great deal of volatility.
If you don't have proper expectations for the returns and volatility you will experience when investing in stocks, irrational behavior -- taking on exorbitant risk in get-rich-quick strategies, trading too much, swearing off stocks forever because of a short-term loss -- may ensue.
3. Be prepared to hold for a long time
In the short term, stocks tend to be volatile, bouncing around every which way on the back of Mr. Market's knee-jerk reactions to news as it hits. Trying to predict the market's short-term movements is not only impossible, it's maddening.
It is helpful to remember what Benjamin Graham said: In the short run, the market is like a voting machine -- tallying up which firms are popular and unpopular. But in the long run, the market is like a weighing machine -- assessing the substance of a company.
Yet all too many investors are still focused on the popularity contests that happen every day, and then grow frustrated as the stocks of their companies -- which may have sound and growing businesses -- do not move. Be patient, and keep your focus on a company's fundamental performance. In time, the market will recognize and properly value the cash flows that your businesses produce.
4. Tune out the noise
There are many media outlets competing for investors' attention, and most of them center on presenting and justifying daily price movements of various markets. This means lots of prices -- stock prices, oil prices, money prices, frozen orange juice concentrate prices -- accompanied by lots of guesses about why prices changed.
Unfortunately, the price changes rarely represent any real change in value. Rather, they merely represent volatility, which is inherent to any open market. Tuning out this noise will not only give you more time, it will help you focus on what's important to your investing success -- the performance of the companies you own.
Likewise, just as you won't become a better football player by just staring at statistical sheets, your investing skills will not improve by only looking at stock prices or charts. Athletes improve by practicing and hitting the gym; investors improve by getting to know more about their companies and the world around them.
5. Behave like an owner
We'll say it again -- stocks are not merely things to be traded, they represent ownership interests in companies. If you are buying businesses, it makes sense to act like a business owner.
This means reading and analyzing financial statements on a regular basis, weighing the competitive strengths of businesses, making predictions about future trends, as well as having conviction and not acting impulsively.
6. Buy low, sell high
If you let stock prices alone guide your buy and sell decisions, you are letting the tail wag the dog. It's frightening how many people will buy stocks just because they've recently risen, and those same people will sell when stocks have recently performed poorly.
Wake-up call: When stocks have fallen, they are low, and that is generally the time to buy! Similarly, when they have skyrocketed, they are high, and that is generally the time to sell! Don't let fear (when stocks have fallen) or greed (when stocks have risen) take over your decision-making.
7. Watch where you anchor
If you read our article on behavioral finance, you are familiar with the concept of anchoring, or mentally clinging to a specific reference point. Unfortunately, many people anchor on the price they paid for a stock, and gauge their own performance (and that of their companies) relative to this number.
Remember, stocks are priced and eventually weighed on the estimated value of future cash flows businesses will produce. Focus on this.
If you focus on what you paid for a stock, you are focused on an irrelevant data point from the past. Be careful where you place your anchors.
8. Remember that economics usually trumps management competence
You can be a great rally driver, but if your car only has half the horsepower as the rest of the field, you are not going to win. Likewise, the best skipper in the world will not be able to effectively guide a yacht across the ocean if the hull has a hole and the rudder is broken.
Also keep in mind that management can (for better or for worse) change quickly, while the economics of a business are usually much more static. Given the choice between a wide-moat, cash-cow business with mediocre management and a no-moat, terrible-return businesses with bright management, take the former.
9. Be careful of snakes
Though the economics of a business is key, the stewards of a company's capital are still important. Even wide-moat businesses can be poor investments if snakes are in control. If you find a company that has management practices or compensation that makes your stomach turn, watch out.
When weighing management, it is helpful to remember the parable of the snake.
Late one winter evening, a man came across a snake on the path. The snake asked, 'Will you please help me, sir? I am cold, hungry and will surely die if left alone.'
The man replied, 'But you are a snake, and you will surely bite me!'
The snake replied, 'Please, I am desperate, and I promise not to bite you.'
So the man thought about it, and decided to take the snake home. The man warmed the snake up by the fire and prepared some food for the snake. After they enjoyed a meal together, the snake suddenly bit the man.
The man asked, 'Why did you bite me? I saved your life and showed you much generosity!'
The snake simply replied, 'You knew I was a snake when you picked me up.'
10. Bear in mind that past trends often continue
One of the most often heard disclaimers in the financial world is, 'Past performance is no guarantee of future results.' While this is indeed true, past performance is still a pretty good indicator of how people will perform again in the future. This applies not just to investment managers, but company managers as well.
Great managers often find new business opportunities in unexpected places. If a company has a strong record of entering and profitably expanding new lines of business, make sure to consider this when valuing the firm. Don't be afraid to stick with winning managers.

Courtesy 

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Railway Budget 2012: List of New Trains

Here is the list of new express trains, passenger trains, MEMU, DEMU, extension of run and increase in frequency of trains announced in Railway Budget 2012-13.

1. Kamakhya-Lokmanya Tilak (T) AC Express (Weekly) via Katihar, Mughalsarai, Itarsi
2. Secunderabad-Shalimar AC Express (Weekly) via Vijayawada
3. Bandra (T)- Bhuj AC Express (Tri-Weekly)
4. Delhi Sarai Rohilla-Udhampur AC Express (Tri-Weekly) via Ambala, Jalandhar
5. Coimbatore-Bikaner AC Express (Weekly) via Roha, Vasai Road, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur
6. Kakinada-Secunderabad AC Express (Tri-weekly)
7. Yesvantpur-Kochuveli AC Express (Weekly)
8. Chennai-Bangalore AC Double-decker Express (Daily)
9. Habibganj-Indore AC Double-decker Express (Daily)
10. Howrah-New Jalpaiguri Shatabdi Express (6 days a week) via Malda Town
11. Kamakhya-Tezpur Intercity Express (Daily)
12. Tiruchchirappalli-Tirunelveli Intercity Express (Daily) via Madurai, Virudunagar
13. Jabalpur-Singrauli Intercity Express (Daily) via New Katni Junction
14. Bidar-Secunderabad Intercity Express (6 days a week)
15. Kanpur-Allahabad Intercity Express (Daily)
16. Chhapra-Manduadih Intercity Express (Daily) via Phephna, Rasra, Mau, Aunrihar
17. Ranchi-Dumka Intercity Express (Daily) via Deoghar
18. Barbil-Chakradharpur Intercity Express (Daily) via Dongoaposi, Jhinkpani
19. Secunderabad-Belampalli Intercity Express (Daily) via Kazipet
20. New Jalpaiguri-New Cooch Behar Intercity Express (5 days a week)
21. Ahmedabad-Ajmer Intercity Express (Daily)
22. Dadar (T) �" Tirunelveli Express (Weekly) via Roha, Coimbatore, Erode
23. Visakhapatnam-Chennai Express (Weekly)
24. Visakhapatnam-Sai Nagar Shirdi Express (Weekly) via Vijayawada, Manmad
25. Indore-Yesvantpur Express (Weekly) via Itarsi, Narkher, Amravati, Akola, Kacheguda
26. Ajmer-Haridwar Express (Tri-Weekly) via Delhi
27. Amravati-Pune Express (Bi-weekly) via Akola, Purna and Latur
28. Kacheguda-Madurai Express (Weekly) via Dharmavaram, Pakala, Jolarpettai
29. Bikaner-Puri Express (Weekly) via Jaipur, Kota, Katni Murwara, Jharsuguda, Sambalpur
30. Secunderabad-Darbhanga Express (Bi-weekly) via Ballarshah, Jharsuguda, Rourkela, Ranchi, Jhajha
31. Bilaspur-Patna Express (Weekly) via Asansol, Jhajha
32. Howrah-Raxual Express (Bi-weekly) via Asansol, Jhajha, Barauni
33. Bhubaneswar-Bhawanipatna Link Express (Daily) via Vizianagaram
34. Puri-Yesvantpur Garib Rath Express (Weekly) via Visakhapatnam, Guntur
35. Sai Nagar Shirdi-Pandharpur Express (Tri-weekly) via Kurduwadi
36. Bhubaneswar-Tirupati Express (Weekly) via Visakhapatnam, Gudur
37. Visakhapatnam-Lokmanya Tilak (T) Express (Weekly) via Titlagarh, Raipur
38. Howrah-Lalkuan Express (Weekly) via Mughalsarai, Varanasi, Lucknow
39. Kolkata-Jaynagar Express (Weekly) via Asansol, Jhajha, Barauni
40. Dibrugarh-Kolkata Express (Weekly)
41. Firozpur-Sriganganagar Express (Daily) via Fazilka, Abohar
42. Jaipur-Secunderabad Express (Weekly) via Nagda, Bhopal, Narkher, Amravati, Akola
43. Okha-Jaipur Express (Weekly) via Palanpur, Ajmer
44. Adilabad-Hazur Sahib Nanded Express (Daily) via Mudkhed
45. Shalimar-Chennai Express (Weekly)
46. Mysore-Sai Nagar Shirdi Express (Weekly) via Bangalore, Dharmavaram, Bellary
47. Valsad-Jodhpur Express (Weekly) via Palanpur, Marwar
48. Porbander-Secunderabad Express (Weekly) via Viramgam, Vasai Road
49. Bandra (T) �" Delhi Sarai Rohilla Express (Weekly) via Palanpur, Phulera
50. Hapa-Madgaon Express (Weekly) via Vasai Road, Roha
51. Bikaner-Bandra(T) Express (Weekly) via Jodhpur, Marwar, Ahmedabad
52. Ahmedabad-Gorakhpur Express (Weekly) via Palanpur, Jaipur, Mathura, Farrukhabad, Kanpur
53. Durg-Jagdalpur Express (Tri-Weekly) via Titlagarh
54. Mannargudi-Tirupati Express (Tri-Weekly) via Thiruvarur, Villupuram, Katpadi
55. Gandhidham-Bandra (T) Express (Weekly) via Morbi
56. Kota-Hanumangarh Express (Daily) via Jaipur, Degana, Bikaner
57. Jhansi-Mumbai Express (Weekly) via Gwalior, Maksi, Nagda
58. Secunderabad-Nagpur Express (Triweekly) via Kazipet
59. Kanpur-Amritsar Express (Weekly) via Farrukhabad, Bareilly
60. Chappra-Lucknow Express (Tri-Weekly) via Masrakh, Thawe, Padrauna
61. Karimnagar-Tirupati Express (Weekly) via Pedapalli
62. Anandvihar-Haldia Express (Weekly) via Mughalsarai, Gomoh, Purulia
63. Barrackpore-Azamgarh Express (Weekly) via Jhajha, Ballia, Mau
64. Indore-Rewa Express (Tri-weekly) via Bina
65. Running of independent train between Jabalpur-Hazrat Nizamuddin by delinking from 12405/12406 Bhusawal-Hazrat Nizamuddin and 12409/12410 Raigarh-Nizamuddin Gondwana Express
66. Darbhanga-Ajmer Express (Weekly) via Raxaul, Sitapur, Bareilly, Kasganj, Mathura
67. Solapur-Yesvantpur Express (Tri-weekly) via Gulbarga
68. Chennai-Puri Express (Weekly)
69. Hyderabad-Ajmer Express (Weekly) via Manmad, Itarsi, Ratlam
70. Asansol-Chennai Express (Weekly) via Purulia, Sambalpur, Vizianagaram
71. Shalimar-Bhuj Express (Weekly) via Bilaspur, Katni, Bhopal
72. Amritsar-Hazur Sahib Nanded Express (Weekly)
73. Santragachi-Ajmer Express (Weekly) via Kharagpur, Chandil, Barkakana, Katni, Kota
74. Malda Town-Surat Express (Weekly) via Rampur Hat, Asansol, Nagpur
75. Dwarka-Somnath Express (Daily)
Passenger Trains
1. Koderma-Nawadih Passenger (6 Days)
2. Sriganganagar-Suratgarh Passenger (Daily)
3. Yerraguntla-Nosam/Nanganapalli Passenger (Daily)
4. Villupuram-Katpadi Passenger (Daily)
5. Gunupur-Palasa (via Parlakhemundi) Passenger (Daily)
6. Ajmer-Pushkar Passenger (5 Days)
7. Kota-Jhalawar City Passenger (Daily)
8. Bareilly-Kasganj Passenger (Daily)
9. Anandnagar-Barahani Passenger (Daily)
10. Rangiya-Tezpur Passenger (Daily)
11. Mysore-Shravan belgola (Daily)
12. Jodhpur-Bilara Passenger (Daily)
13. Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai Passenger (Daily)
14. Rohtak-Panipat Passenger (Daily)
15. Miraj-Kurudwadi Passenger (Daily)
16. Phulera-Rewari Passenger (Daily)
17. Mysore-Chamarajanagar Passenger (Daily)
18. Gorakhpur-Siwan Passenger (Daily)
19. Running of independent Passenger trains between Rewa-Bilaspur and Rewa-Chirmiri by delinking from 51751/51752 Rewa-Bilaspur Passenger and 51753/51754 Rewa-Chirmir Passenger
20. Mysore-Birur Passenger via Arsikere (Daily)
21. Jhansi-Tikamgarh Passenger via Lalitpur

MEMU
1. Dahod-Anand
2. Anand-Gandhinagar
3. Bina-Bhopal MEMU service in lieu of conventional services
4. Palakkad-Coimbatore-Erode
5. Ernakulam-Thrisur
6. Adra-Asansol
7. Adra-Bishnupur via Bankura
8. Sealdah-Lalgola 

DEMU
1. Baripada-Bangriposi(Daily)
2. Masagram-Matnashibpur (Daily)
3. Mannargudi-Trichy-Manamadurai (Daily)
4. Hoshiarpur-Firozpur (Daily)
5. Siliguri-Changrabandha (Daily)
6. Pratapnagar-Chota Udepur (Daily)
7. New Jalpaiguri-Bamanhat DEMU service in lieu of conventional services

Friday, January 27, 2012

Income Tax Slab 2011-2012

Here is the latest income tax slab rates for Year 2011-2012. This tax table based on the latest income tax slab is a ready reference for calculating your income tax for year 2011-12.

Quick highlights
  • Base slab for general tax payers increased to 1.8 lakh from original 1.6 lakh
  • Senior citizen age reduced to 60 years from last years 65 years. Senior citizen now include people between 60 and 80 years. Also increased the base slab for senior citizen to 2.5 lakh from previous years 2.4 lakh
  • A new category called "Very Senior citizen" added for people above 80 years.

Income tax slabs 2011-2012 for General tax payers

Income tax slab (in Rs.)Tax
0 to 1,80,000No tax
1,80,001 to 5,00,00010%
5,00,001 to 8,00,00020%
Above 8,00,00030%

Income tax slabs 2011-2012 for Women

Income tax slab (in Rs.)Tax
0 to 1,90,000No tax
1,90,001 to 5,00,00010%
5,00,001 to 8,00,00020%
Above 8,00,00030%

Income tax slabs 2011-2012 for Senior citizen (Aged 60 years but less than 80 years)

Income tax slab (in Rs.)Tax
0 to 2,50,000No tax
2,50,001 to 5,00,00010%
5,00,001 to 8,00,00020%
Above 8,00,00030%

Income tax slabs 2011-2012 for Very Senior citizen (Above 80 years)

Income tax slab (in Rs.)Tax
0 to 5,00,0000%
5,00,001 to 8,00,00020%
Above 8,00,00030%