Taxation on Listed Debt Securities and Debt Mutual Funds to be aligned - AMFI BUDGET PROPOSALS 2018-19


AMFI-  Association of Mutual Funds in India
BUDGET PROPOSALS FOR FY 2018-19


Taxation on Listed Debt Securities and Debt Mutual Funds to be aligned.


Background

In his 2014 Budget Speech, the Finance Minister had mentioned that investment in debt securities, either directly or through Mutual Funds should be at par for retail investors, at the same time acknowledging that retail participation in debt Mutual Funds was limited.
The amendments made in the Finance Act, 2014 unfortunately did not completely address the disparity and retained the difference between tax treatment of direct and indirect investment into debt securities.
The changes the Finance Act, 2014 has increased the holding period for non-equity oriented Mutual Funds (MFs) from more than 12 months to more than 36 months for being eligible for long term capital gains.
However, a direct investment in a listed debenture, if held for more than 12 months, is treated as long term investment, whereas, if the said investment was made through a Debt-oriented Mutual Fund scheme, the period of holding is increased to 36 months for it to be regarded as long-term investment.
Thus, there is a need for harmonizing the tax treatment on investments in debt-oriented MFs and direct investments in debt securities.

Proposal

The holding period for long term capital gains between direct investment in listed debt securities and through debt mutual funds should be harmonized and made uniform.
This may be done by bringing the two at par by treating investments in non-equity oriented mutual fund schemes which invest 65% or more in listed debt securities as long term, if they are held for more than 12 months, on similar lines of Equity Oriented Funds (wherein a fund is treated as Equity oriented fund if it invests 65% or more in equities).



Justification
There is a need to bring parity between direct investment in listed debt instruments and investment through debt-oriented mutual fund schemes


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