15th December 2024 is the due date to pay your 3rd advance tax instalment for FY 2024-25.
Many of us often assume that we are only required to pay taxes once a year while filing our Income Tax Return (ITR). However, this is not the case. You are required to pay taxes as you earn income throughout the entire financial year.
For instance, in the case of salary or dividend income, TDS is applicable, and hence, taxes are paid on your behalf. However, for incomes such as those from capital gains or businesses where TDS is not applicable, you are required to pay advance tax.
What is advance tax?
Advance tax, as the name suggests is paying your taxes in advance by estimating your tax liability for the year. These payments are generally made over 4 instalments, one every quarter.
Advance tax is beneficial for both taxpayers and the government. ensuring that the latter has a steady income stream to meet its expenditures and for you, it helps avoid the burden of paying a large sum of taxes at the end of the financial year.
Who is liable to pay advance tax?
If your estimated tax liability for the entire year exceeds ā¹10,000, you need to pay advance tax. To calculate your tax liability, you need to consider all your income sources, and if any TDS/TCS was deducted, it needs to be taken into account.
What are the due dates for each quarter?
Advance tax is payable in instalments on or before the due date which is 15th of the last month of the respective quarter. Below are the due dates:
How is advance tax calculated?
- Estimate all your earnings in a given year
- Subtract the amount of deductions eligible
- Compute the tax liability as per the latest slab rates (special rates in case of capital gains) and the regime opted for.
- If any TDS/TCS was already paid, reduce that amount from total tax liability.
- If the net tax liability exceeds ā¹10,000, make the advance tax payment as per the quarterly instalments.
Here are some exceptions:
- Individuals with salary income covered under TDS net are not liable to pay advance tax. However, any earnings from sources such as capital gains, rent, interest, or non-salary income are subject to advance tax.
- Resident senior citizens aged 60 or above not having income under the āIncome from Business & Professionā head are exempted from paying advance tax.
- If you have opted for presumptive taxation scheme, the advance tax can be paid in one instalment on or before 15 March of the relevant year.
- In case of capital gains, advance tax needs to be paid on accrual basis.
How to pay advance tax?
You can follow the below steps to make your advance tax payment on the e-filing portal:
- Log in to the e-filing portal
- Navigate to e-file > e-pay tax
- Select āIncome taxā category
- Enter the relevant assessment year (for FY 2024-25, AY 2025-26 needs to be selected) and select the type of payment as āadvance tax (100)ā
- Click on continue, enter the tax amount and make the payment.
What are the consequences of late payment of advance tax?
If you fail to pay advance tax as per the quarterly instalments, a penal interest of 1% per month will be levied under section 234B and 234C.
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