Under Section 206C of the Income Tax Act, individuals are liable to pay indirect taxes for availing of services or purchasing goods. Indirect taxes include TCS (Tax Collected at Source), TDS (Tax Deduction at Source) and GST (Goods and Service Tax). Tax under Section 206C is collected by the seller and submitted to the Government.
Here is a detailed guide on everything you want to know about Section 206C of the income tax act. Read on!
Section 206C of the Income Tax Act deals with collecting a certain percentage of tax from the buyers on gains and profits made on products such as alcohol, scrap, forest goods, etc. This tax is collected at the time of payment and then the seller deposits the Tax Collected at Source to the government.
Section 206C mandates tax collection by the sellers from buyers. Here is a list of goods along with the rate of TCS under section 206C that you need to collect from buyers under Section 206C of the income tax act.
Type of Goods | TCS Rate |
Timber from a forest that is under lease | 2.50% |
Alcohol meant for consumption | 1% |
Tendu leaves | 5% |
Timber from sources other than forest leased | 2.50% |
Forest products other than tendu leaves or timber | 2.50% |
Minerals such as lignite, iron ore or coal | 1% |
Scrap | 1% |
Vehicles costing more than Rs. 10 lakh | 1% |
Toll plaza, mining, parking lot, quarrying | 2% |
However, there is an exemption. If a resident purchases certain goods for producing some other items, the buyer is not liable to pay tax under Section 206C of the Income Tax Act. The transaction has to be trading in nature.
As per the provisions of Section 206C of the Income Tax Act, sellers who have a turnover of over Rs. 10 crore in the previous year needs to collect taxes for certain payments. The seller must collect TCS when receiving payments over Rs. 50 lakh in a financial year at the time of receiving receipts.
Section 206C also applies to companies, firms, local authorities, cooperative societies and local authorities. Sellers do not need to deduct TCS if the buyer is a representative of the Central/State Government, Consulate, Embassy, High Commission or Trade Representative.
The seller can be individuals/HUFs with turnover above limits specified by Section 44AB. Under this Section, anyone receiving income above Rs. 50 lakh from a profession or more than Rs. 5 crore from a business needs to get their books of accounts audited. These limits are applicable based on certain conditions:
For receiving consideration above Rs. 50 lakh in a fiscal year, the seller needs to deduct TCS at a 0.075% rate from the buyer. He/she has to deposit this amount to the government by the 7th of the month following the tax collection.
These are some of the regulations related to the payment and return of tax collected at source as mentioned under Section 206C:
Also Read: How To Pay Income Tax Online?
Taxpayers will need to file different forms for different situations under Section 206C:
As per Income Tax Act provisions, there are certain individuals and organisations who are qualified to collect TCS. Only the following sellers can collect TCS from their buyers:
A buyer, on the other hand, is an individual who purchases goods or acquires rights to obtain certain goods through auction, tender or through other modes. However, here are some of the buyers who are not required to pay TCS under section 206C:
The Finance Act 2020 added a new rate of tax and a new subsection (1H) to Section 206C. The following are the key points of this amendment.
Collection of tax under Section 206C is not applicable under the following circumstances:
Also Read: How To File Income Tax Return Online?
If you collect TCS on goods from your buyers, you need to file TCS returns on a quarterly basis. You are also required to provide a certificate of TCS to buyers of goods. The certificate that you get after a successful filing of TCS returns is Form 27D.
A TCS certificate consists of the following details:
The TCS certificate is issued within 15 days of filing quarterly TCS returns. Here are the due dates:
Quarter Ending | Due Date to Generate Form 27D |
For the quarter ending June 30 | July 30 |
For the quarter ending September 30 | October 30 |
For the quarter ending December 31 | January 30 |
For the quarter ending March 31 | May 30 |
If you are a trader or a dealer selling items online, then the online platform is liable to deduct a tax at 1% under IGST Act. This 1% tax would comprise 0.5% CGST and 0.5% SGST. You would get your payments accordingly after this deduction. Tax collectors have to submit the tax to the government within the 10th of the following month.
The government has made these provisions effective from October 1 2018. Let’s take an example to have a clear understanding.
Mr Sharma is a trader selling electronic goods on an e-commerce platform. He has received an order of Rs. 20,000 including commissions. The e-commerce platform would be deducting Rs. 200 before payments (1% of Rs. 20,000).
If you are a buyer or a seller dealing with alcohol, forest goods, scraps or other goods and services that require deduction of TCS, make sure to refer to the detailed guide on Section 206C of the Income Tax Act.
Ans: According to provisions of the IT Act, any individual not filing a TCS return before the last date is liable to pay Rs. 200 per day till the date of filing. However, the late filing fee amount shall not exceed the TCS amount. You need to submit this fee before you file your TCS return.
Ans: You can easily check the details of TCS on Form 26AS. Form 26AS lists details about tax collected at source by a seller on specific goods. This form includes details about the seller, TCS amount, and the date of a particular transaction.
Ans: If you have incorrectly filed TCS returns, you are liable to pay a penalty under Section 271H. You might have to pay a minimum penalty of Rs. 10,000 and a maximum of Rs. 1 lakh if you file an erroneous TCS return.
Ans: Yes, a seller deducting a TCS from a buyer for selling specific goods as mentioned under Section 206C should be inclusive of GST. The amount debited from the buyer’s account or payment amount that a seller receives from a buyer should include all applicable taxes.
Ans: Sometimes a contract might be cancelled after payment of advance and TCS deduction. In such scenarios, the seller will refund only the amount received as primary sale consideration. TCS deducted will not be refunded as buyers will get it back while filing IT returns.
Disclaimer: Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme-related documents carefully.
This article has been prepared on the basis of internal data, publicly available information and other sources believed to be reliable. The information contained in this article is for general purposes only and not a complete disclosure of every material fact. It should not be construed as investment advice to any party. The article does not warrant the completeness or accuracy of the information, and disclaims all liabilities, losses and damages arising out of the use of this information. Readers shall be fully liable/responsible for any decision taken on the basis of this article.
Public Provident Fund (PPF) – Know PPF Details and Its Benefits
In 1968, the National Savings Institute introduced the PPF scheme. The Public Provident Fund (PPF) ... Read More »How to Withdraw PF Amount? – Step-by-Step Guide
EPF (Employees Provident Fund) is a popular savings scheme for employees in India. The Central Gove... Read More »Previous Year in Income Tax: Exceptions on Taxation
‘Previous Year’ in the Income Tax Act, 1961 is an important concept associated with the payment... Read More »What are Capital Receipts and What are its Types?
The concept of a receipt is easy to understand as it is described as a written record that a paymen... Read More »What is Anti-Dumping Duty (ADD) – Its Working, Examples and Calculation
Anti-dumping duty refers to a tax or other charges levied on a particular imported product. The con... Read More »Loan to Purchase Land – Types, Features, Eligibility and Documents Required
Loans for land purchase or plot loans are secured loans given for purchasing plots of land. Borrowe... Read More »List of 11 Tax-Free Income Sources in India (2023)
There are many sources through which a person can earn his/her income. It can be income from salary... Read More »New GST Rates in India (2023) – Latest Changes in GST Rates
GST or the Goods and Services Tax is one of the most significant tax reforms to be ushered in since... Read More »What is Input Tax Credit (ITC) in GST – Eligibility and Documents Required To Claim ITC
GST is consumption-based taxation levied at all stages in a value chain. Set-off of GST paid in the... Read More »What is Cess on Income Tax: Overview, Types and Calculation
Cess is a tax on taxes imposed by the Central Government or state governments for specific reasons.... Read More »Section 80EEB: Eligibility & Deduction Amount
Electric vehicles are better for the environment and an efficient alternative to fuel-run vehicles.... Read More »What is Section 80GGA: Deductions on Donations Made for Rural Development
Income Tax Act provides several opportunities for taxpayers to claim partial or full deductions. Se... Read More »Top 10 Chit Fund Schemes in India in 2023
Chit funds are one of the most popular return-generating saving schemes in India. It is a financial... Read More »10 Best Gold ETFs to Invest in India in February 2023
Gold ETFs or Gold Exchange Traded Funds are passively managed funds that track the price of physica... Read More »Top 10 Demat Accounts in India [Lowest Brokerage Charges]
A Demat account was created to eliminate the time-consuming and inconvenient procedure of purchasin... Read More »20 Best Index Funds in India to Invest in 2023 (Updated on 31st Jan)
What is an Index Fund? An index fund is a type of mutual fund or exchange-traded fund (ETF) that... Read More »Best Arbitrage Mutual Funds to Invest in India: Returns and Taxation
Arbitrage funds are hybrid mutual fund schemes that aim to make low-risk profits by buying and sell... Read More »Best SIP Mutual Funds To Invest In India (2023) – Its Types And Taxation
A Systematic Investment Plan (SIP) is a convenient way to invest a fixed sum in mutual funds. For i... Read More »10 Best Corporate Bond Funds in India 2023 – With Returns
Corporate bond funds are debt funds that invest at least 80% of the investment corpus in companies ... Read More »10 Best Banks for Savings Account in India (2023)
A savings account keeps your money safe, and lets you earn interest every quarter. There are many b... Read More »All information is subject to specific conditions | © 2023 Navi Technologies Ltd. All rights are reserved.
Start Small. Dream Big.
Start your Investment Journey with just ₹10