The Black Money Act,2015 passed by Government of India 

1.            THE BLACK MONEY (UNDISCLOSED FOREIGN INCOME AND ASSETS) AND IMPOSITION OF TAX ACT, 2015 commonly known as The Black Money Act,2015 has been passed by Parliament of India and received President's assent on 26th May 2015. This Act makes it compulsory of the RESIDENTs of India to disclose all their Foreign Income and Assets. The Act contains provisions to deal with the menace of black money stashed away abroad. It, inter alia, levies tax on undisclosed assets held abroad by a person who is a resident in India at the rate of 30 percent of the value of such assets, provides for a penalty equal to 90 percent of the value of such asset, and also provides for rigorous imprisonment of three to ten years for willful attempt to evade tax in relation to a undisclosed foreign income or asset.

2.            Considering the stringent nature of the provisions of the new law, Chapter VI of the Act, comprising sections 59 to 72, provides for a one-time compliance opportunity for a limited period to persons who have any foreign assets which have hitherto not been disclosed for the purposes of Income-tax. This circular explains the substance of the provisions of the compliance window provided for in the said Chapter VI of the Act.

3.            A declaration under the aforesaid chapter can be made in respect of undisclosed foreign assets of a person who is a resident other than not ordinarily resident in India within the meaning of clause (6) of section 6 of the Income-tax Act.

 

4.             A declaration under the aforesaid Chapter may be made in respect of any undisclosed asset located outside India and acquired from income chargeable to tax under the Income-tax Act for any assessment year prior to the assessment year 2016-17 for which he had, either failed to furnish a return under section 139 of the Income-tax Act, or failed to disclose such income in a return furnished before the date of commencement of the Act, or such income had escaped assessment by reason of the omission or failure on the part of such person to make a return under the Income-tax Act or to disclose fully and truly all material facts necessary for the assessment or otherwise.

 

5.           The person making a declaration under the provisions of the chapter would be liable to pay tax at the rate of 30 percent of the value of such undisclosed asset. In addition, he would also be liable to pay penalty at the rate of 100% of such tax (i.e., a further 30% of the value of the asset as on the date of commencement of the Act). Therefore, the declarant would be liable to pay a total of 60 percent of the value of the undisclosed asset declared by him. This special rate of tax and penalty specified in the  compliance provisions will override any rate or rates specified under the provisions of the Income-tax Act or the annual Finance Acts.

 

6.            The Central Government has further notified 30th September, 2015 as the last date for making the declaration before the designated Principal Commissioner or Commissioner of Income Tax (PCIT/CIT) and 31st December, 2015 as the last date by which the tax and penalty mentioned in para 5 above shall be paid. Accordingly, a declaration under Chapter VI in Form 6 as prescribed in the Rules may be made at any time before 30.09.2015.