Tuesday, June 21, 2011

COLUMN - Cracking the Direct Tax Code


(Rajan Ghotgalkar is Managing Director of Principal Pnb Asset Management Company. The views expressed in this column are his own and do not represent those of Reuters)

The new Direct Tax Code certainly lives up to its promise of being completely renovated. Although, I am not sure it has got any simpler for the ordinary tax payer.

Even the changes in personal tax seem to be a zero sum game with what has been given by one hand being taken away by the other. The savings from changes in tax rates and slabs are no where near the depreciation in our real incomes as a result of the unrelentingly high consumer inflation.

Anyway, Indians cannot whine too much considering our tax rates is now possibly as good as they can get when compared with other countries.

Eventually like the proof of every pudding is in its eating, the effectiveness of this Code will eventually test the regime’s political will to implement it in a manner keeping with its noble intentions.

Varied interpretations are already being gleefully bandied indicating there is enough scope for litigation. I for one have little doubt in my mind that, I am going to need a lot of help from my friends in the accounting profession to fully appreciate its impact.

Looking back through the discussion papers, I suspect that, the earlier harsh provisions may have been a mere bargaining ploy and the sighs of relief all round seem to indicate the tactic has indeed worked well.

Honestly, knowing our penchant for populism I had all along doubted our ability to push through so drastic a change especially when it would go against the high and mighty.

Only time will tell if the promise of stability in tax laws is actually delivered.

Anyway for now, the Code has caused a lot of instability in my small dwindling world of mutual funds. This even after the long term capital gains on equity oriented mutual fund units retained their tax free status.

As a start, the Equity Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) and Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs) too, have lost their special status as tax benefit vehicles.

However, the EEE status has been retained for all long term savings schemes used to accumulate for retirement monies like provident and super annuation funds along with the New Pension scheme will be deductible up to Rs 1 lac (not Rs 3 lacs as mentioned earlier). More on personal taxation later.

Thankfully, the income earned by a mutual fund retains its exemption in keeping with it being classified as a pass through investment vehicle.

The Securities Transaction Tax (STT) will continue to be applicable at existing rates considering the Code does not otherwise provide specific rates. STT continues to be payable by a mutual fund when it sells its units and buys/sells equity shares.

It seems we have lost the opportunity to save mutual funds from this double taxation especially when the STT on the sale of units cannot be passed to the corpus.

The impact of the Code on mutual funds is best understood when looked at separately for equity oriented mutual funds (wherein at least 65% of the corpus is deployed in equity) and all other type of mutual funds, including liquid and debt schemes.

Dividend Distribution Tax (DDT) will now be payable @ 5%, on income distributed by equity oriented mutual fund schemes. This tax will also be levied on ULIPs. However, the income distributed thereafter will continue to remain tax free in the hands of the unit holders.

On the other hand, the DDT which is currently payable on income distributed by other mutual fund schemes will not be levied under the Code. This means the tax arbitrage on account of differential DDT applicable to Liquid and Debt schemes; and between individuals and non-individuals has been eliminated.

The bad news is that, income distributed by non-equity oriented mutual fund schemes like, liquid, debt and hybrid schemes like MIPs will now be subjected to tax in the hands of the unit holders at the rate applicable to them (based on the slab applicable as per their total income).

Mutual Funds will now have to deduct tax at source (TDS) but only when the ‘total amount of income paid to an unit holder exceeds Rs. 10,000 in that, financial year (the Code has given up the term previous year for financial year i.e. 12 months beginning 1st April).

This TDS will be deducted @ 10% for individuals and HUF; and at @ 20% for others which includes Non residents.

I seem to however, have completely missed the point in making this change. After all how significant could the 5% DDT be to the exchequer, unless of course it is only to open the door for a gradual escalation of this rate in the coming years.

Also the continuation of DDT on debt schemes, albeit unified across liquid and debt categories would have saved mutual funds from this increased administrative burden resulting from the TDS regime.

These funds usually are highly transaction oriented with money moved in and out by investors to maximise their return on short term funds. Mutual funds may now have to retain TDS records for providing year end certificates, etc.

There is also a change in the way Capital Gains will be taxed on equity and units of equity oriented mutual funds.

These assets held for 12 months or more will not be taxed. However, the Code makes a subtle but what time could prove to be a significant change. Instead of the earlier ‘exemption’ these gains remain tax free as a result of a 100% ‘deduction’ from these capital gains.

I wonder if the need for recasting an ‘exemption’ as a ‘deduction’ is only to retain the flexibility to gradually bring it down so that, such gains will eventually get taxed as intended in the original version of the Code.

Similarly, other capital gains (short term) in equity and units of equity mutual funds would get a deduction of 50%. The rest is taxed at the rate applicable to the investor. Therefore the maximum effective tax rate stays at 15% although smaller investors will benefit.

In the case of ‘non-equity funds’ those held over 12 months, will be eligible for indexation benefits but on a base of April 2000. The gains post indexation will be taxed at the rates applicable to the investor. There may therefore, still be an opportunity for ‘double indexation’ benefits.

This means the gains could be taxed at 30% instead of the earlier 20%. The 10% rate applicable when indexation benefit was not availed of has been withdrawn. This change could again benefit the smaller investors.

Short term gains in this category will continue to get taxed at the rates applicable to investors based on their total taxable income.

It needs to be noted that, the period of 12 months will begin from the end of the financial year during which the relevant asset was purchased.

The Code seems to be greatly preoccupied with expanding its net to meet the challenges posed by non residents, cross border transactions, transfer pricing and foreign control over companies. The impact of these investments will have to be seen.

However, the Code does not seem to have done much to expand the domestic tax base. Like in the past, it continues to try and squeeze more juice out of the same old orange being the employed class which is already reeling from ruthless depletion of its real income.

One would have liked to see liberal inflation linked deductions on expenses incurred directly for employment. I would have liked to see this Code eventually bell the agriculture income cat.

After all, if corporates can be subjected to the MAT and there could be suggestions to tax income from house property on an irrational presumptive basis why then do our lawmakers studiously and consistently skip any discussion on taxing say the incomes from land holdings over say 2 hectares which is estimated to be about 20% of rich farming community.

It seems the Code has been a tremendous opportunity foregone.

Source: http://in.reuters.com/article/2010/09/18/idINIndia-51589720100918

Gilt Edge

The 25 basis points increase in the policy rate by the Reserve Bank of India on June 16, which was the 10th hike since March last year, has sent a signal that the interest rate cycle has more or less peaked and is expected to taper off as headline inflation starts trending down. Investors who have taken the debt route will have to look for instruments that yield more than bank or corporate fixed deposits.

Analysts say that with equity markets showing range-bound movement, gilt funds of mutual funds that predominantly invest in government bonds (G-secs) can be a better bet. While debt funds invest in various corporate and government debt paper, gilt funds invest in government securities, which tend to rise when interest rates fall and vice-versa. G-secs’ maturity varies as the government issues paper of various tenor and can be short, medium and long term. The credit risk is next to nil as the government has zero risk of defaulting, but the interest rate risk rises as the market price of debt security varies with fluctuating interest rates.

Sanjiv Mehta, founder of financedoctor.in, a wealth management firm, and author of Winning the Wealth Game says a long-term gilt fund is useful for capital gains in a declining interest rate environment. “Gilt funds are a very important part of asset allocation with their inverse correlation to stocks and they could contribute significantly to the yield enhancement of a portfolio,” he says.

During the global financial crisis, when the central bank reduced the policy rate by 275 basis points between December 8, 2008, and April 21, 2009, to infuse liquidity in the banking system, prices of long-term bonds and G-secs appreciated and funds that were invested in such securities benefited. Funds houses also promote gilt funds by emphasising their risk-free returns, but they cannot give any assured returns because of the interest rate risks.

Analysts say G-secs with higher maturity are more sensitive to interest rates and investors have to look for the tenor in which the fund house is investing their money. Gilt funds are not as liquid as other funds as G-secs are not actively traded, and if there is a sudden redemption pressure, fund houses will have no other means but resort to distress sale. Analysts also say that investors must avoid those gilt funds that have a small corpus, as they will not be able to perform well in case of sudden volatility in interest rates.

Performance of both medium- and long-term gilt funds shows that on an annualised basis, they gave a return of around 4.5% last year and 7% in the last three years. This indicates that the funds have been be able to give similar returns that other fixed-income instruments like bank deposits yielded. “Retail investors must look at gilt funds with a trading perspective of more than two years and their inverse correlation to stocks could contribute significantly to the yield enhancement of an investor’s portfolio,” says Sanjiv Mehta of financedoctor.com.

Ashish Kapur, chief executive officer of Investshoppe.com, a Delhi-based wealth management company, says gilt funds suit conservative investors with a long-term perspective. “Gilt funds become a good investment option when inflation is near its peak and the Reserve Bank of India is not likely to raise interest rates in the immediate future. Since interest rates are likely to peak out in the near future, it is a good time to consider investing in gilt funds now with a horizon of staying in the find of at least two years,” he says.

Investors also have to consider certain global economic factors that could suddenly spike the interest rate in the domestic market. For example, any further quantitative easing in the US can increase the price of oil and other industrial commodities. This will push up inflation even in India as we import a large quantity of crude.

Interestingly, the ministry of labour has included gilt mutual funds in the permitted asset allocation for exempted provident funds and it provides provident fund trustees an opportunity to construct an interest rate hedge in their portfolios. The central bank also provides liquidity support and other facilities such as access to the call money market to dedicated gilt funds. These facilities encourage gilt funds to create a wider investor base for government securities market.

Analysts say the central bank’s next monetary policy will give a clear direction on the movement of gilt funds and economic data like index of industrial production, core sector data, export numbers and credit growth trend will determine the movement of interest rate. However, analysts say the interest rate cycle has more or less peaked and being invested in gilt funds will be a wise call.

Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/gilt-edge/806338/0

Bank of India in talks with Bharti Axa, 2 others for MF entry

Public sector lender Bank of India today said it is in talks with Bharti Axa and two asset management companies for an entry into the mutual funds business and hopes to seal the deal before end September.

“We are in talks with Bharti AXA and two other companies ...we will announce it before end of the next quarter,” Chairman and Managing Director, Mr Alok Misra, told reporters.

Bharti, which exited life insurance business earlier this month by selling its stake in Bharti Axa Life Insurance to Reliance Industries, is also tipped to be looking at options of exiting other non-core businesses, to concentrate on telecom and retail.

A senior Bank of India official said it makes sense to acquire an operational business than start something which will take two years to build up.

The Mumbai-headquartered Bank of India has appointed consultancy firm Ernst and Young for advising it on the takeover, the official added.

Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/markets/article2118285.ece

Govt may allow foreign individuals to invest $10 bn in MFs

India is likely to allow foreign individuals to invest in mutual funds in the next two weeks but with a cumulative cap of USD 10 billion, an official said today.

The detailed guidelines are being worked out jointly by the finance ministry, RBI and Sebi.

These will be notified by the capital market regulator, the Finance Ministry official said.

The move follows announcement in the last Budget by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee.

It was aimed at broad-basing the flow of foreign investment in the Indian stock market, so that dependence on FIIs' funds, considered as hot money, is reduced.

"This will increase corpus in MF holdings, which means MFs will purchase more equity and other schemes as a result of which it will help in fighting volatility, which takes place due to FII outflows," a Finance Ministry official told PTI.

At present, only FIIs and sub-accounts registered with the market regulator Sebi and NRIs are allowed to invest in mutual fund schemes in the country.

"Discussions between government, RBI and Sebi are in final stages and market regulator's guidelines in this regard are expected in two-three weeks," the official said.

The proposed move would not only help in attracting more foreign funds but is also expected to bring in 'more depth' in the fast-growing domestic mutual funds industry.

Earlier Mukherjee in his Budget speech had said: "To liberalise the portfolio investment route, it has been decided to permit Sebi-registered mutual funds to accept subscriptions from foreign investors who meet KYC requirements for equity schemes".

The official said there is a "broad consensus" that investments by foreign individuals should be limited up to USD 10 billion.

For allowing foreigners in the segments, the government is looking to introduce a completely new class of investors, called Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs).

QFIs registered with depository participants can invest in the mutual funds directly and also through a mechanism -- Unit Confirmation Receipt (UCR) system -- sources said.

Under the proposed UCR approach, a foreign investor can go to depositories in his home country and place orders on custodian banks in India. The custodian banks will look into the MFs and issue UCRs against the underlying MFs.

The fund houses, however, will have to comply with know-your-customer (KYC) norms before seeking investment from overseas investors.

The average assets managed by the MF industry, consisting of 40 players, stood at Rs 7,00,538 crore as of March 31, 2011.

Source: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-06-19/news/29676960_1_investment-from-overseas-investors-mutual-funds-mfs

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Aggrasive Portfolio

  • Principal Emerging Bluechip fund (Stock picker Fund) 11%
  • Reliance Growth Fund (Stock Picker Fund) 11%
  • IDFC Premier Equity Fund (Stock picker Fund) (STP) 11%
  • HDFC Equity Fund (Mid cap Fund) 11%
  • Birla Sun Life Front Line Equity Fund (Large Cap Fund) 10%
  • HDFC TOP 200 Fund (Large Cap Fund) 8%
  • Sundram BNP Paribas Select Midcap Fund (Midcap Fund) 8%
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  • Principal MIP Fund (15% Equity oriented) 10%
  • IDFC Savings Advantage Fund (Liquid Fund) 6%
  • Kotak Flexi Fund (Liquid Fund) 6%

Moderate Portfolio

  • HDFC TOP 200 Fund (Large Cap Fund) 11%
  • Principal Large Cap Fund (Largecap Equity Fund) 10%
  • Reliance Vision Fund (Large Cap Fund) 10%
  • IDFC Imperial Equity Fund (Large Cap Fund) 10%
  • Reliance Regular Saving Fund (Stock Picker Fund) 10%
  • Birla Sun Life Front Line Equity Fund (Large Cap Fund) 9%
  • HDFC Prudence Fund (Balance Fund) 9%
  • ICICI Prudential Dynamic Plan (Dynamic Fund) 9%
  • Principal MIP Fund (15% Equity oriented) 10%
  • IDFC Savings Advantage Fund (Liquid Fund) 6%
  • Kotak Flexi Fund (Liquid Fund) 6%

Conservative Portfolio

  • ICICI Prudential Index Fund (Index Fund) 16%
  • HDFC Prudence Fund (Balance Fund) 16%
  • Reliance Regular Savings Fund - Balanced Option (Balance Fund) 16%
  • Principal Monthly Income Plan (MIP Fund) 16%
  • HDFC TOP 200 Fund (Large Cap Fund) 8%
  • Principal Large Cap Fund (Largecap Equity Fund) 8%
  • JM Arbitrage Advantage Fund (Arbitrage Fund) 16%
  • IDFC Savings Advantage Fund (Liquid Fund) 14%

Best SIP Fund For 10 Years

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  • Principal Emerging Bluechip Fund (Stock Picker Fund)
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