Lok Sabha Question No. 5252 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-04-03
Subject: Exemption of Senior Citizens from Income Tax Payment
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Giridhari Yadav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 5252

TO BE ANSWERED ON MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2023/CHAITRA 13, 1945 (SAKA)

## 'EXEMPTION OF SENIOR CITIZENS FROM INCOME TAX PAYMENT'

## 5252.     SHRI GIRIDHARI YADAV:

Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  number  of  senior  citizens  including  pensioners  who  pay  income  tax  in  the country is very less and if so, the details thereof including the number of such income tax payers and the amount of income tax revenues received therefrom during each of the last three years; and
- (b) whether the Government proposes to exempt the senior citizens including pensioners from the ambit of income tax to facilitate them with simplified way of living and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI PANKAJ CHAUDHARY)

- (a) No sir. The details of number of senior citizens tax payers and the amount of income tax revenues received therefrom during each of the last three years are as under:
- (b) There is no such proposal. However, some income tax related benefits provided to pensioners and senior citizens are given in the annexure.

|                                            |                                            | Senior Citizen (Age > 60 years)            | Senior Citizen (Age > 60 years)                                     |
|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
| SR                                         | AY                                         | No. of taxpayers                           | Total Taxes Paid (AsperPart-BTTI of Income Tax Return)(Rs. inCrore) |
| 1                                          | 2019-20                                    | 73,14,324                                  | 70,262                                                              |
| 2                                          | 2020-21                                    | 75,93,353                                  | 79,806                                                              |
| 3                                          | 2021-22                                    | 81,30,798                                  | 83,756                                                              |
| 4                                          | 2022-23*                                   | 86,71,564                                  | 1,13,458                                                            |
| * - upto 28-Feb-2023                       | * - upto 28-Feb-2023                       | * - upto 28-Feb-2023                       | * - upto 28-Feb-2023                                                |
| Senior Citizen :                           | Senior Citizen :                           | Senior Citizen :                           | Senior Citizen :                                                    |
| AY 2019-20 : born on or before 31-Mar-1959 | AY 2019-20 : born on or before 31-Mar-1959 | AY 2019-20 : born on or before 31-Mar-1959 | AY 2019-20 : born on or before 31-Mar-1959                          |
| AY 2020-21 : born on or before 31-Mar-1960 | AY 2020-21 : born on or before 31-Mar-1960 | AY 2020-21 : born on or before 31-Mar-1960 | AY 2020-21 : born on or before 31-Mar-1960                          |
| AY 2021-22 : born on or before 31-Mar-1961 | AY 2021-22 : born on or before 31-Mar-1961 | AY 2021-22 : born on or before 31-Mar-1961 | AY 2021-22 : born on or before 31-Mar-1961                          |
| AY 2022-23 : born on or before 31-Mar-1962 | AY 2022-23 : born on or before 31-Mar-1962 | AY 2022-23 : born on or before 31-Mar-1962 | AY 2022-23 : born on or before 31-Mar-1962                          |

## Annexure

## Relief provided to senior citizens/pensioners under the Income-tax Act, 1961

- (i) In  order  to  provide  relief  to  senior  citizens  including  those  senior  citizens  receiving pension, Finance Act, 2018 provided various incentives which included,-
- a. increase  in  the  limit  of  deduction  on  account  of  payment  of  health  insurance premium  and/or  medical  expenditure  from  Rs  30,000/-  to  Rs  50,000/-  under section 80D of the Act;
- b. increase  in  the  limit  of  deduction  for  medical  expenditure  in  respect  of  certain critical illness from Rs 60,000/- and Rs 80,000/-, in the case of senior citizens and very senior citizens respectively, to Rs 1,00,000/- in the case of all senior citizens (of the age of 60 years or more) under section 80DDB of the Act;
- c. a  deduction  of  Rs  50,000/-  was  provided  to  senior  citizens  on  interest  income from  deposits  with  banks,  co-operative  societies  and  post  offices  under  section 80TTB of the Act and the threshold for tax deducted at source on interest income for senior citizens was increased from Rs 10,000/- to Rs 50,000/- under section 194A of the Act.
- (ii) In order to ease compliance burden on senior citizen pensioners who are of 75 years of age or above having pension and interest income, Finance Act, 2021 provided that such persons shall be exempted from the requirement of filing of income tax if the full amount of tax payable has been deducted by the paying bank.

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