Income Tax exemption under Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme

Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme (RGESS) Liberalised

The Finance Bill 2013-14 proposes liberalisation of the Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme(RGESS) that was launched in FY 2012-13. The first time investors will now be allowed to invest in mutual funds as well as listed shares. This investment can be done not in one year alone, but in three successive years. Presenting the Union Budget in the Lok Sabha today, the Finance Minister Shri P.Chidambaram said that the income limit is also being proposed to be raised from Rs.10 lakh to Rs.12 lakh.

The existing provisions of section 80CCG, inter-alia, provide that a resident individual who has acquired listed equity shares in accordance with the scheme notified by the Central Government, shall be allowed a deduction of fifty per cent of the amount invested in such equity shares to the extent that the said deduction does not exceed twenty five thousand rupees. The deduction is a one-time deduction and is available only in one assessment year in respect of the amount so invested. The deduction is available to a new retail investor whose gross total income does not exceed ten lakh rupees. Rajiv Gandhi Equity Savings Scheme has been notified under section 80 CCG.

With a view to liberalize the incentive available for investment in capital markets by the new retail investors, it is proposed to amend the provisions of section 80CCG so as to provide that investment in listed units of an equity oriented fund shall also be eligible for deduction in accordance with the provisions of section 80CCG. It is proposed to provide that “equity oriented fund” shall have the meaning assigned to it in clause (38) of section 10.

It is further proposed to provide that the deduction under this section shall be allowed for three consecutive assessment years, beginning with the assessment year relevant to the previous year in which the listed equity shares or listed units were first acquired by the new retail investor whose gross total income for the relevant assessment year does not exceed twelve lakh rupees.

This amendment will take effect from 1st April, 2014 and will, accordingly, apply in relation to the assessment year 2014-15 and subsequent assessment years.

Source : PIB, Text of budget 2013-14