The government has proposed
a number of new benefits, including a tax rebate on investment in private
mutual funds and tax deduction at source on share premium to help revamp the
country's stock markets.
"The present
government is firmly committed to maintain the stability of the capital market
along with its continual expansion and solidification," said Finance
Minister AMA Muhith on Thursday in his budget speech.
As per the proposed
budget announced for the fiscal year (FY) 2013-14, a company will enjoy a tax
exemption on its share premium fixed over face during the flotation of shares
through the initial public offering (IPO).
Presently, a
company has to pay three per cent tax on the share premium fixed by the
securities regulator while offloading the shares into the stock market.
"This step
will, I believe, motivate the new companies to be enlisted in the capital
market," Mr Muhith said.
Proposals for
Capital Market
|
Particulars
|
Existing
|
Proposed
|
Tax deductible at source on the premium over Face Value of
shares
|
3%
|
NIL
|
Tax deductible at source on bond sale
|
0.05%
|
NIL
|
Tax rebate on the investment in private mutual funds
|
NIL
|
15%
|
Tax exempted dividend income threshold
|
5,000/-
|
10,000/-
|
As per another
government offer, it is not required to pay tax at source on bond sales,
although under the existing provision one has to pay 0.05 per cent tax on sales.
The government has
offered this facility with a view to making the country's bond market more
attractive and vibrant.
The more lucrative
offer for the private mutual funds, which are presently in a dire state as many
of their market prices have recently gone down below their net asset value
(NAV), is that 15 per cent tax rebate will be applicable on the investment made
in private mutual funds.
The move has been
taken considering a condition made by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) which
said that a level playing field should be created for the mutual funds managed
by both the state-run and private organisations.
Presently, tax
rebate is applicable only for the investment made in the mutual funds managed
by the Investment Corporation of Bangladesh (ICB).
Moin Al Kashem,
managing director of the Prime Finance Asset Management Company, said that
presently the investors would be benefited by purchasing units of private
mutual funds amid a level playing field created by the government.
"We hope the
investors will be interested for long-term investment in mutual funds,"
Mr. Kashem said.
The government has
also raised the tax- exempted dividend income threshold up to Tk 10,000 from
the existing ceiling fixed at Tk 5,000.
According to
another proposal, investment ceiling for an individual has been raised up to 30
per cent of total income fixed at Tk 15 million.
In that case, the
individual will enjoy a 15 per cent tax rebate on his income invested in stock
market.
Presently, a 10 per
cent tax rebate is applicable on individual income by investing 20 per cent of
total income fixed at Tk 10 million.
While, speaking on
tax exemption on the income of the bourses, the Finance Minister said the
government has a plan to consider the bourses' proposal when the proposed
demutualisation becomes effective.
Both Dhaka and Chittagong Stock Exchange sought the facility,
among others, in their budget proposals submitted to the government.
"Our
government wants to build the capital market as a dynamic source of capital.
This prompted us to pay due attention to the development of the capital market
from the very beginning," the Finance Minister said.
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