Corporate tax cut aimed at attracting investment, generating jobs: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha on Monday said the government’s decision to reduce corporate tax rate was aimed at attracting investment and creating jobs. The government’s decision was also necessary to attract investment from multi-national companies, which are wanting to shift operations from China in view of ongoing Sino-US trade war, she said while moving the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 for consideration and passage. The Bill seeks to replace the Ordinance which was promulgated by the President in September. [caption id=“attachment_7340511” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. PTI[/caption] The government through the ordinance reduced the corporate tax rate from 30 percent to 22 percent, and for new manufacturing companies to 15 percent. The companies opting for lower tax rates, however, will not be entitled to claim any rebate or deductions. “We think we will attract investment by reducing tax rate”, she said while stressing that several neighbouring countries and emerging nations have reduced tax rates to attract investment. She further said that with the reduction of the corporate tax rate, the effective rate will come down to 25.17 percent from 34.94 percent. The effective tax rate for new manufacturing companies, which will be entitled for 15 percent rate would be 17.16 per, she said. Beside other things, the bill has also provided a negative list of businesses which will not be entitled for a concessional tax rate of 15 percent. The companies engaged in the development of computer software mining, converting marble blocks into slabs, bottling of gas cylinder, the printing of books and the cinematographic film will not be treated a new manufacturing entities for the purpose of concessional tax. The government, she said, has also partially rolled back the surcharge announced in the budget to attract investment from the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs).