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| Key Announcements: |
| Ceiling on aggregate investments by mutual funds in overseas
instruments to be raised from $ 1 billion to $ 2 billion with removal of
requirement of 10% reciprocal shareholding. |
| Limited number of qualified Indian mutual funds to be allowed to
invest, cumulatively up to $ 1 billion, in overseas exchange traded
funds. |
| An investor protection fund to be setup under the aegis of SEBI. |
| RBI’s anonymous electronic order matching trading module (NDS-OM) on
its Negotiated Dealing System to be extended to qualified mutual funds,
provident funds and pension funds. |
| Steps to be taken to create a single, unified, exchange-traded market
for corporate bonds. |
| Increase of 25 per cent, across the board, on all rates of STT. |
| Investments in fixed deposits in scheduled banks for a term of not
less than five years included in section 80C of the Income tax Act. |
| Limit of Rs.10, 000 in respect of contribution to certain pension
funds removed in section 80CCC subject to overall ceiling of Rs.100,
000. |
| Definition of open-ended equity-oriented schemes of mutual funds in
the Income tax Act aligned with the definition adopted by SEBI. |
| Open-ended equity-oriented schemes and close-ended equity oriented
schemes to be treated on par for exemption from dividend distribution
tax. |
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Implications For Mutual Fund Industry
The Union
Budget 06 moved on predictable and there were some sops for the mutual
fund industry as well. The dividends from MF units’ continue to be
tax-free for its investors. Debt-oriented Mutual Funds schemes continue to
pay distribution tax amounting to 12.5 percent on the dividends declared,
while equity-oriented mutual funds schemes will not be required to pay
distribution tax. Long-term capital gains tax on equity funds remains nil
while for debt funds it would be taxed at the prevailing rates- 10%
without indexation or 20% with indexation. The limit on FII investment in
corporate debt would be raised from $0.5bn to $1.5bn, which is expected to
encourage the investments in debt market. Open-ended equity-oriented
schemes and close-ended equity oriented schemes would now be treated on
par for exemption from dividend distribution tax.
The ceiling on
aggregate investment by mutual funds in overseas instruments would be
raised from $1billion to $2billion and the requirement of 10% reciprocal
share holding would be removed and a limited number of qualified Indian
mutual funds to invest, cumulatively up to $1 billion, in overseas
exchange traded funds would be allowed. Mutual Fund investment abroad is
currently restricted in companies that have a holding of at least 10% in a
listed Indian company. This will enable Indian investors to invest in
global equity markets with a wider choice of stocks to permit greater
diversification and the convenience of dealing with an Indian mutual fund.
However, now, investors would have to bear the brunt of increased
rate of securities transaction tax. The Investments in fixed deposits in
scheduled banks for a term of not less than five years has been included
in section 80C of the Income tax Act, thereby making them more attractive
to the general public, which may affect debt-oriented mutual fund schemes. |
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