Professional Tax Registration
Professional tax is a direct tax levied on persons earning an income by either practicing a profession, employment, calling, or trade. Unlike income tax imposed by the Central Government, professional tax is levied by the government of a state or union territory in India.
Professional Tax Applicability
This tax is levied on all kinds of professions, trades, and employment. Profession tax is applicable to the following classes of persons:
The professionals earning an income from salary or other practices such as a lawyer, teachers, doctors, chartered accountants, etc. are required to pay professional tax.
Professional Tax Rate
Professional Tax Rate
The maximum amount payable per annum towards professional tax is INR 2,500. The professional tax is usually a slab amount based on the gross income of the professional. It is deducted from his income every month.
The Commercial Taxes Department of a state/union territory is the nodal agency that collects professional tax on the basis of predetermined tax slabs which vary for each state and union territory. The tax is calculated on the annual taxable income of the individual; however, it can be paid either annually or monthly.
Who Pays Profession Tax?
In the case of Salaried and Wage-earners, the Professional Tax is liable to be deducted by the Employer from the Salary/Wages, and the Employer is liable to deposit the same with the state government.
Self-employed persons who carry out their profession or trade on their own and fall in the ambit of profession tax are liable to pay the tax themselves to the state government.
Employer’s Responsibility for Professional Tax
The owner of a business is responsible for deducting professional tax from the salaries of his employees and paying the amount so collected to the appropriate government department. He/she has to furnish a return to the tax department in the prescribed form within the specified time. The return should include proof of tax payment. In case of not enclosing the payment proof, the register will consider the return incomplete and invalid.
Exemptions for Payment of Professional Tax
Exemptions for Payment of Professional Tax
There are exemptions provided for certain individuals to pay Professional Tax under the Professional Tax Rules. The following individuals are exempted to pay Professional Tax:
- Parents of children with permanent disability or mental disability
- Members of the forces as defined in the Army Act, 1950, the Air Force Act, 1950, and the Navy Act, 1957 including members of auxiliary forces or reservists, serving in the State.
- Badli workers in the textile industry
- An individual suffering from a permanent physical disability (including blindness)
- Women exclusively engaged as agents under the Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachat Yojana or Director of Small Savings.
- Parents or guardians of individuals suffering from a mental disability.
- Individuals, above 65 years of age.
