Friday, 13 July 2012

Form 26 AS


Summer is gone. Guess what the next season is………..
The tax-return filing season!
That’s hotter than summer, right?

Before filing your return please check your Form 26AS. This is a consolidated statement and contains the following:
  1. Part A – Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) and deposited with the Income Tax Department on your behalf by the person from whom you have received the payment. It displays the name and TAN of the deductor, the section under which the payment has been made, the amount and date of payment.
  2. Part B – The tax collected at source (TCS) and deposited with the Income Tax Department on your behalf by the seller of specified goods at the time these goods have been sold to you. Details similar to those as in Part A is shown here as well.
  3. Part C – Other tax payments made by you (like Advance Tax, Self-Assessment Tax, Regular Assessment Tax etc.) and the details of the challan through which you have deposited the tax in the bank.
  4. Tax Refunds (if any) which shows the details of amount refunded and the assessment year for which the tax has been refunded.
  5. Annual Information Report (AIR) – Contains details of high value transactions done by you like details of transactions of Mutual Fund, Shares and Bonds.

Benefit of Form 26AS:
You must cross-check the Form 26AS before filing your Income Tax Return. This will help you to understand the following:
1.   Whether the TDS / TCS has been deposited into the government account.
2.   The bank has properly furnished the details of the tax deposited by you.
3.   You can also view the details of the Income Tax Refund paid during the financial year and can also verify the TDS certificates (form 16 & form 16A).

How to download Form 16AS online?
This can be downloaded from 3 different portals:
1. View Tax Credit from https://incometaxindiaefiling.gov.in
Taxpayers who are registered at the above portal can view Form 26AS by clicking on 'View Tax Credit Statement (From 26AS)' in "My Account". For new registration, click on 'Register' on the portal. The registration process is user-friendly and takes very little time.

2. View Tax Credit (Form 26AS) from bank site through net banking facility
The facility is available to a PAN holder having net banking account with any of the authorized banks (list given at the bottom).

3. View Tax Credit (Form 26AS) from TIN website
The facility is available to PANs that are registered with Tax Information Network for view of Form 26AS. The PAN holder has to fill up an online registration form for this. Thereafter, verification of PAN holder's identity is done by the TIN-Facilitation Centre personnel either at PAN holder's address or at the TIN-facilitation centre that has been chosen by the PAN holder. The verification involves a cost at prescribed rates. Once authorised, the PAN holder can view Tax Credit Statement online


The credits available in the tax statement confirm that:
a)    The tax deducted/collected by the deductor/collector has been deposited to the account of the government;
b)   The deductor/collector has accurately filed the TDS/TCS return giving details of the tax deducted/collected on your behalf;
c)    The bank has properly furnished the details of the tax deposited by you.
In future, you will be able to use this consolidated tax statement (Form 26AS) as a proof of tax deducted/collected on your behalf and the tax directly paid by you along with your income tax return. This is important especially since the need for submission of TDS/TCS certificates and tax payment challans along with income tax returns has been dispensed with by the Income Tax Department (ITD).
In addition to the above, you can view the details of tax refund received during the financial year and details of transaction of mutual Fund, shares and bonds (as reported by AIR filer). You can also verify the TDS certificate (Form 16A) issued by your deductor.
The accuracy of PAN-wise ledger account will depend on:
a)    Correct quoting of TAN by the deductor/collector.
b)   Correct and complete quoting of PAN of deductor/collector.
c)    Correct quoting of CIN (Challan Identification Number) where payment is made by challan.
‘No Transaction Present’ means there no transactions that have taken place either in Part A, B or C during the selected assessment year by you.
In this context, please note the following process for the posting of the date of booking against an entry in Form 26AS
a)    Deductor deposits challan for TDS/TCS deducted from you in bank.
b)   Bank issues counterfoil of challan mentioning Challan Identification Number popularly known as ‘CIN’.
c)    Bank uploads challan data to NSDL’s TIN Central System.
d)   Deductor files TDS/TCS return mentioning details of CIN.
e)    Once the return is uploaded, the challan details present in return are compared with challan details uploaded by bank.
f)     Whether these details are matched or Un-matched, entry for the same is displayed in Form 26AS against ‘F’, ‘U’ or ‘P’ status based on whether details are matched or unmatched. Please refer your Form 26AS to know more about F/U/P status.
The date when such matching takes place is recorded as ‘Date of Booking’ in Form 26AS in part A or part B (as the case may be).
In case this is on account of TDS/TCS credit, you may intimate the deductor/collector. In case this is on account of advance tax/self-assessment tax, you may intimate your assessing officer.
The address reflecting in Annual Tax Statement (Form 26AS) is picked up from the details present in ITD’s PAN Database with the details of latest PAN card issued.
The address mentioned in the Form 26AS is picked up from the details present in ITD’s PAN Database with the details of latest PAN card issued.
You can update/change your address details (as the case may be) by making an application using the 'Request for new PAN card or/and changes or correction in PAN data'. This request can be made either online or through the existing network of TIN-FCs. Details are available at www.tin-nsdl.com
Details of TDS/TCS is displayed in Form 26AS on the basis of quarterly TDS/TCS statement furnished by deductor/collector. On processing the quarterly TDS/TCS statement, PAN ledger (Form 26AS) is generated for each deductee which are reported with valid PAN.
Banks upload challan details to TIN on a T+3 basis after the realization of the tax payment cheques. On the day after the bank uploads the details of self-assessment/advance tax to TIN, it will post these details into your Form 26AS.
The details are posted on the day of upload of details of tax refund by State Bank of India. This is a daily activity.
Form 26AS gets updated one day after upload of Annual Information Return (AIR) in the TIN central system. This is a daily activity.
If there is any error in the TDS/TCS returns or in the challan details uploaded by the bank and the same has been rectified, the original credit entry will be reversed by way of a debit entry in Form 26AS and a new credit entry (if applicable) will be posted.
You can contact TIN Call Centre, National Securities Depository Limited, 3rd Floor, Sapphire Chambers, Near Baner Telephone Exchange, Baner, Pune – 411 045. Tel: 020 – 2721 8080. Fax: 020 – 2721 8081. Email: reply@nsdl.co.in
You have to mention the following details in the correspondence:-
  1. PAN of Deductee
  2. Name of Deductor
  3. TAN of Deductor 
  4. Query (In detail)
  5. Assessment Year for which query raised
  6. Your present address and contact details.

Which are the banks registered with NSDL for providing view of Tax Credit Statement (Form 26AS)?
The list of banks is given below.
      1. Allahabad Bank
      2. Andhra Bank
      3. Axis Bank Limited
      4. Bank of Baroda
      5. Bank of India
      6. Bank of Maharashtra
      7. Canara Bank
      8. Central Bank of India
      9. Citibank N.A.
      10. City Union Bank Limited
      11. Corporation Bank
      12. HDFC Bank Limited
      13. ICICI Bank Limited
      14. IDBI Bank Limited
      15. Indian Overseas Bank
      16. Indian Bank
      17. Karnataka Bank Limited
      18. Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited
      19. Oriental Bank of Commerce
      20. State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur
      21. State Bank of Hyderabad
      22. State Bank of India
      23. State Bank of Mysore
      24. State Bank of Patiala
      25. State Bank of Travancore
      26. Syndicate Bank
      27. The Federal Bank Limited
      28. The Karur Vysya Bank Limited
      29. The Saraswat Co-operative Bank Limited
      30. UCO Bank
      31. Union Bank of India

Friday, 6 July 2012

Family Budget




Family Budget….

The more you earn, the more you spend. That’s why even with an increase in earnings, many families continue to live pay-day to pay-day. We call it the ‘month-end-blues’. Creating, implementing and monitoring a Family Budget is a step-by-step process that will help you clear debts and have more available cash to do the things that will provide a brighter financial future for you and your family.


  This is how most family budgets look!

Description: http://www.ourfamilyplace.com/images/spent.gif
Oops!
Money comes in             ^^^^^           Money gets spent!

Simply worrying when the end of the month approaches, will not help.
Worrying is stupid, it's like walking around with an umbrella waiting for it to rain.

The purpose of family budgeting is:
1.   To have a clear picture of one’s financial situation.
2.   Cutting costs and gaining control.
3.   Starting to save, building up wealth and liquid assets over time.
4.   To be prepared and avoid surprises.
5.   To save for a major purchase
6.   To get out of a vicious cycle of ever-spiralling debt.
7.   To eliminate money as a source of tension and topic for argument in the family and become empowered to know that debt does not rule their lives anymore!

Steps to work out a family budget for everyday living:

1.   The first step would be to accurately estimate your annual family income. This could include salaries, bonuses, commissions, rent income, family business profit or other sources of income. Then set aside what you would want to save for long term goals like, child’s education, retirement etc. The balance should then be treated as your available income.

2.   You should then list out all your recurring household expenses along with the scheduled dates for fixed pay-outs. The list should include bills that must be paid on a month to month basis and are likely to include: groceries, your home loan EMI, rent, electricity bill, phone bill, petrol, driver’s salary, cable television bill etc. Add any other monthly expenses you have such as child care, and credit card bills. Work out how much you need to put aside each month for less frequent but necessary expenses such as doctor visits, car maintenance and repair, toiletries etc. The list should be as exhaustive as possible and should cover almost all day-to-day living expenses. Beware of little expenses. A small leak will sink a great ship”. – Benjamin Franklin

3.   You should then write down your short, medium, and long term goals. The goals should be realistic and achievable with some financial discipline. You should also prioritize these goals.

4.   You then need to prioritize how you want to save money regularly. This would mean jotting down what savings categories to budget for and how much to fund them and on what schedule.

5.   You should then categorize the expenses into broad heads like must have (grocery, electricity expenses, telephone bills, petrol etc.), good to have (weekly eat-outs, movies etc.), want to have (annual vacations, upgrading your car etc.). This will help you to plan out your expenses and discover avenues to cut costs and save.

6.   Create an emergency fund. This should not be confused with the contingency fund which should typically be 6 months of your expenses. This emergency fund is just to take care of any particular month where you over-shoot your budget. “Even though work stops, expenses run on”. - Cato

7.   Work out your personal spending allowance. This step is the most important as it takes a lot of discipline and can undermine your whole budget plan if not followed.

8.   Subtract your expenses from your income. This is your surplus and the amount. Based on the amount you have leftover, decide how you would like to allocate it. Items you might want to include are: clothing, eating-out, vacations etc.

9.   The last and most dynamic step is to constantly review your budget against the actual expenses. Budgeting is an on-going exercise. It is great to have a budget but it is more important to track what you actually spend and make the necessary adjustments to help stay on course.


Some of the broad categories of expenses could be:

1.   Obligations – Rent, home loan EMI, insurance (health, auto, home, and life), school fees, taxes, property taxes etc.
2.   Necessities – Food, groceries, utilities (gas, electricity, household supplies, car maintenance, monthly parking, housekeeper, household repairs, internet service, laundry expenses, cable TV etc.
3.   Pocket expenses – Treat this as a whole category, covering: lunch at work, snacks, coffee, drinks, newspapers, magazines, cigarettes etc.
4.   Family Allowances – another whole category including items like : entertainment, weekend outing, movies, concerts, home improvements, magazine and other subscriptions, dining out etc.
5.   Personal allowances - clothing, hobbies, personal recreation, books, CD’s, manicures, hair, personal gifts, night out with friends, gardening, films, sports/recreation, family gifts etc.

Some good practices
1.   Keep a record of all expenses.
2.   Look at possible ways to curb expenses before finally dipping into the emergency funds or skipping the savings habit.
3.   Avoid credit cards except for emergencies. Maintain average quarterly minimum balances stipulated in your savings accounts to avoid charges. Often we hear people say My bank is the worst. They're charging me money for not having enough money in my account. Apparently, I can't even afford to be broke”. It would be better to close down multiple savings accounts unless it comes with some convenience that is absolutely necessary.

4.    Study your spending habits regularly. Check your credit card statements, savings account statements etc.

Some general strategies to work out a budget are:

*      Shift your attitude toward spending and actually focus on saving money, planning ahead and driving for success.
*      Develop a greater awareness of how you earn, manage, save and spend money.
*      Be aware about how advertisers, retailers, and manufacturers would lure, entice and want you to spend your money.
*      Do not envy others and crave for things that they might have or even worse, get deeper into debt to compete. It is counterproductive and can ruin lives!
*      Avoid impulsive purchases – you might discover that the item is not worth buying or you don’t actually need it.
*      Involve the family in the budgeting process.
*      Set spending limits and stick to them.
*      Do not make ends meet using credit cards and stay away from cash advances.
*      Understand your income – know where the money is coming from and how it varies throughout a one-year cycle.
*      Understand your expenses – monthly and irregular, unexpected expenses.
*      Know your own habits, spending, temptation, and where the areas of risk and exposure are.
*      Have the right number of credit cards
*      Set aside pocket money for daily incidentals
*      Create a family allowance to cover entertainment
*      Celebrate when you have money left over at the end of the month.

Why budgets fail:

*      Negative Attitude - A positive attitude about budgeting is essential to your success. If you think of budgeting in negative terms (such as a financial handcuff, restrictive, a sacrifice etc.) you are bound to fail. Think of a budget as way to achieve your dreams and goals--and that postponing the instant gratification of spending all the money you earn is worth the rewards you will get in the end.
*      Low Motivation – Is budgeting an escape route from your nagging spouse? Then it isn’t going to work! The best motivations are internally generated. You must honestly believe that budgeting can help you meet your goals.


*      Unrealistic Expectations - What do you expect to gain from drawing up and following a budget? Do you think that setting up a budget will magically transform your spending habits instantly? No, never! Budgeting is a long drawn process. Those who stick with it, through thick and thin will see steady, measurable progress towards the goals that really matter.

Budgeting is serious business for every family. Money is the only resource you have to secure your future and the future of your family and to live a good life. Get your spending under control and start treating your household like a business. With ad-hoc spending habits you are bound to struggle 

Sunday, 1 July 2012

Big Fat Bucks!


Big Notes!
Singapore has the honour of having the most valuable bank note in current circulation. Its $10,000 note is worth about Rs. 4,39,000/-


This note is primarily used for bank-to-bank transactions although it is legal tender. So if you somehow came across one, you could use it to make a purchase, but only in Singapore.

The second highest value note in current circulation is the Swiss Franc 1000, which is worth about Rs. 58,287/-   This note is recognised as tender around the world.


Over the years the United States have been known to create some incredible bank notes, at the moment their biggest bank note is the $100 bill, but that was certainly not the case in the past.


During 1940s and 50s America was known to have a number of high-sum notes in circulation, with a $10,000 floating about until it was discontinued in 1969. Despite an end to its production it still remains legal tender to this day and there are thought to be around 336 $10,000 notes still in existence, most likely in the hands of collectors. It is worth approximately today Rs.5,56,950/-.


One of the world’s most widespread currencies is the controversial Euro. Created in 2002, the Euro is used in 11 different EU nations, and its largest note is the €500, worth about Rs.  35,060/-.


Finally, the largest bank note ever denominated is the Zimbabwe $100 billion note. The note was created during a period of economic meltdown in Zimbabwe. Inflation was at a shocking 231,000,000% and the Z$100 billion was worth virtually nothing. Soon after Zimbabwe’s currency was suspended and foreign currency was used.