How GST impact the wallet of the common man.

Since the passing of the GST Constitutional Bill by the Rajya Sabha in August last year, the country has been preparing itself for the new tax regime. The new GST law is India?s biggest tax reform initiative which is expected to improve compliance levels, increase government revenue in company registration in India and create a common playing field for businesses by amalgamating a host of central and local taxes.

On the face of it, GST seems to be a mixed bag with some of the necessities becoming cheaper, while the others might get more expensive. While in the longer run the Goods and Service Tax might have a favorable effect on most of the sectors of the economy, in the short run, as with the most of the reforms, the benefits seem to be limited. Based on the experience of GST implementation in other countries, India could observe an inflationary impact at the onset of the reform, which might fade away once the legislation sinks in.

The present rate of service tax is 15 percent and is applicable to most of the services, excluding essential ones like cultural activities, ambulance services, and certain pilgrimages and sports events. Under Goods and Service Tax, this rate would increase to 18 percent making the services more costly. For some goods like edible oil, textiles, etc. the excise duty is nil and the VAT in several states is 5 percent. Hence, the total cost of such goods is close to 8%-9%. With GST, the cost of such goods is likely to increase and this might put a hole in the budget of a common man to wholly owned subsidiary in India.

Doing Business in India

Doing business in India offers enormous opportunities for Foreign companies. However, India is a large and complex market. It should not be seen as one market, but a series of interconnected regional markets where the legislative and investment climate may change from one state to another.
It is wiser to be in India now…

• Fastest growing economy in the world
  (Current: 7% , by 2018: 7.8%)
• World’s third largest economy
  (Would double in size to US$ 4–5 trillion in a decade)
• Taxes on companies has been reduced to 25%
  (For companies with annual turnover less than 50 Crores)
• World’s second-largest telecommunication market
  (1058.86 million subscribers)
• By 2020, retail market is expected to grow to US$ 1.1 trillion
  (growing at a high rate of 20%-25% p.a.)
• World’s sixth largest pharmaceutical market by 2020
• By 2050, India will have added 300 million people
• Working age group will be more than 64% by 2021
  (15-59 years)
• Growing urban markets
  (23.1 Million people shifting from rural to urban areas in two decades)
• Low labour costs
  (Total labour force of nearly 530 million)
• Purchasing power parity, India’s economy is third largest in the world
  (Current-$ 8.7 trillion, by 2025-$ 20 trillion )

Foreign Direct Investment into India

Automatic Route

• All sectors other than sectors which are specifically prohibited or under approval route
• Should comply with sector based investment and other conditions (i.e. sectoral caps)

Approval Route

100% FDI through Government approval route

• Extraction of titanium
• Publishing of scientific & technical magazines/specialty journals/ facsimile
• Edition of foreign newspapers
• Satellites (establishment & operation)
• Pharmaceuticals (Brownfield)

100% FDI: Government approval required beyond 49%

• Telecom Services
• Broadcasting Carriage Services
• Single Brand product retail trading

100% FDI: Government approval required beyond 74%

• Existing projects of Airport

49% FDI : No Government approval required

• Infrastructure Company in the Securities Market
• Insurance
• Pension Sector
• Power Exchanges
• Defense
• Air Transport Services (Scheduled): 100% for NRI

49% FDI through Government approval route

•  Broadcasting Content Services (except Up-linking & Down-linking
  of Non-‘News & Current Affairs’ TV Channels)
•  Private Security Agencies

FDI limits less than 100%

•  Banking (Private Sector): 74% FDI is allowed. However,
  Government approval is required beyond 49%
•  Banking (Public Sector): 20% FDI is allowed with Government
  approval
•  Multi Brand product retail trading: 51% FDI is allowed with
  Government approval
•  Print Media: 26% FDI is allowed with Government approval

Reasons to set up a limited company

Setting up a limited company will mean more administration and more paperwork than if you are a sole trader but there are many advantages to being a limited company, not least eliminating and personal financial liability.
When a sole trading business fails then the owner is personally responsible for any debt, which can have a negative effect on your credit rating and ability to obtain personal loans in the future. You could risk becoming personally bankrupt if the debts are too high for your to pay off.
If you set your business up as a limited company you are protected from this risk.

What are the Benefits :
Whilst running a limited company does have its fair share of responsibility, and the administrative responsibilities are certainly greater than other ways of working, there are many advantages too.

• Limited liability – In simple terms, if you run a Limited Company you are protected should things go wrong. Assuming all rules have been followed, as a director you will not be personally liable for any financial losses made by the company.

• Separate entity – A Limited Company is a legal entity in its own right. This means that everything from the company bank account, to the ownership of assets relates to the business. They are totally separate from the interest of the directors and shareholders.

• Tax – As a director and shareholder of a limited company you could elect to take the majority of your income in the form of dividends, which enables you to manage your own tax liability and potentially save on National Insurance costs.

• Perception – If you plan to do business with larger companies, it can help if you are working via a Limited Company as it gives off a more professional image. In some industries, it may even be a mandatory requirement as they will not deal with sole traders or partnerships.

• Protection – As well as the limited liability protection mentioned above, once you have successfully registered your company, your company name is protected by law. Companies House has very stringent rules for the naming of companies so no one else can use the same name as you, or anything deemed too similar.

• Ownership and succession – As the sole shareholder in your business, you own the business. However, a Limited Company can easily transfer ownership of shares, or existing shareholders can sell a stake in the company to other parties at any time. If for example a shareholder wishes to retire, or bring a new director on board, it is far easier to transfer ownership, or part ownership, of a Limited Company than it is with a less formal business structure.

• Take home pay – It’s safe to say that this is the area where you can really reap the rewards of running your own Limited Company. The only person you need to pay as a Limited Company is yourself – combined with the tax efficiencies on offer, this means you can keep anything from 81 to 86 percent.

Accounts
Accounts must be prepared each year but most small companies are not required to have them audited so the process is relatively simple, especially now that the process can be done online.

Source :-http://www.ajsh.in/blog