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The tax liability for individual taxpayers is determined as per the applicable income-tax slabs and rates. Senior citizens are eligible for beneficial slab rates. Till FY 2011-12, women taxpayers were eligible for beneficial tax slabs. However, with effect from FY 2012-13, the Government introduced common income tax slabs for both men and women. Also, there are no special tax deductions/exemptions which are available to a women taxpayer.
The present slabs and tax rates applicable to the individual taxpayer (both men and women) is mentioned below:
| Income Tax Slab | Old Tax Regime | New Tax Regime | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resident Individuals (aged less than 60 years of age) and NRI | Resident Senior Citizens (60 to 80 years) | Resident Super Senior Citizens (above 80 years) | Applicable for all individuals | |
| Upto INR 2,50,000 | NIL | NIL | NIL | NIL |
| INR 2,50,001 to INR 3,00,000 | 5% | NIL | NIL | 5% |
| INR 3,00,001 to INR 5,00,000 | 5% | 5% | NIL | 5% |
| INR 5,00,001 to INR 7,50,000 | 20% | 20% | 20% | 10% |
| INR 7,50,001 to INR 10,00,000 | 20% | 20% | 20% | 15% |
| INR 10,00,001 to INR 12,50,000 | 30% | 30% | 30% | 20% |
| INR 12,50,001 to INR 15,00,000 | 30% | 30% | 30% | 25% |
| Above INR 15,00,000 | 30% | 30% | 30% | 30% |
The above income-tax liability is further increased with surcharge where the income exceeds the threshold limits. The rates of surcharge are mentioned below:
| Total income | Surcharge rate |
|---|---|
| Above INR 50 Lakhs and upto INR 1 Crore | 10% |
| Above INR 1 Crore and upto INR 2 Crore | 15% |
| Above INR 2 Crore and upto INR 5 Crore | 25% |
| Above INR 5 Crore | 37% |
In addition to above income tax and surcharge, health and education cess of 4% is charged on the total income tax (including surcharge). Further, in case of women taxpayers having income up to Rs 5 lakhs, tax rebate upto Rs 12,500 can also be availed.
It is important to note that the taxpayer opting for new tax regime must forgo the commonly available deductions and exemptions like house rent exemption, deductions under Section 80C, 80D etc.
The existing law provides various deductions /exemptions to an individual taxpayer to reduce the overall tax burden and increase savings and disposable income. However, it is important to note that there is no specific deduction /exemption which is available to the women taxpayers. With the Union Budget 2023 around the corner, there is an expectation from the government that, to support working women and increase their contribution towards country’s economic growth, certain additional tax benefits be introduced.
The following suggestions can be considered in this regard:
The above measures would go a long way in helping the women taxpayers in our country in building an independent future.