SFT取引（特定金融取引）における報告の拡大 | 正直な納税者を尊重する

ブラックマネーの根絶は、歴代政府にとって常に重要な政策課題の一つでした。国内の多くの人々がブラックマネーを生み出す主な理由は、多額の所得税を支払うという苦境を回避するためです。インド政府は、この問題に対処するために数多くの取り組みを行い、ブラックマネーの範囲を抑制しようと努めてきました。政府が実施した広範な活動の一つが、SFT（特定金融取引）の報告制度です。

では、この報告制度がどのように政府のブラックマネー抑制や課税所得の隠蔽防止に役立つのでしょうか。

所得税の納税額は納税者自身が申告する仕組みですが、納税者はさまざまな取引を報告しないことで課税所得を過少申告し、結果として納税額を減らそうとする傾向があります。

そのため、税務当局は報告の義務を取引の相手方に転換しました。現在、当局は特定の取引を定期的に報告する義務を負う「特定個人」を定めています。当局はすでに主要な情報を把握しているため、納税者はそのような所得に対する所得税の納税義務から逃れることはできません。

ここで、具体的にどのような特定金融取引が報告対象となり、誰がそのような取引を報告する責任を負うのかという疑問が生じます。

1. 特定金融取引：SFT取引

所得税法第285BA条により、一般にSFTとして知られる特定金融取引の報告義務が設けられました。所得税法第 285BA条に基づき、以下のいずれかの取引が特定金融取引として規定される可能性があります。

• 商品、財産、または財産上の権利や利益の購入、売却、交換取引、または
• サービスの提供、または
• 請負契約に基づく取引、または
• 投資または支出による取引、または
• ローンや預金の受け入れ

上記のいずれのカテゴリーにおいても、当局は報告対象となる取引について、報告者ごとに異なる金額基準を定めることができます。

SFTの報告規定は以前から存在しています。状況や要件の変化に応じて、納税者による課税所得の過少申告を防ぐため、時間の経過とともにさまざまな取引がこのリストに追加されてきました。

2. SFT取引における提案された変更（2020年8月13日）

政府は所得税法に基づき、「透明な課税 - 正直な納税者を尊重する」ための新しいプラットフォームを立ち上げました。これに伴い、所得税制度の透明性を高めるため、顔の見えない査定（フェースレス・アセスメント）や電子不服申し立て手続きの導入に向けたさまざまな変更が行われています。

さらに、取引の管理を強化する目的で、政府はSFT報告の範囲を拡大することを提案しました。これは、コンプライアンスと透明性を向上させるために、新たな特定取引を追加し、報告義務を負う対象者を拡大するものです。

SFTの範囲変更を通知する正式な告示やプレスリリースは発行されていないことにご留意ください。ただし、政府の各Twitterページで発行されたパンフレットを通じて情報が提供されています。

SFTに基づく報告対象取引の拡大案の一環として、以下の取引が監視対象となります。

1. 年間2万ルピーを超える固定資産税の支払い
2. 2万ルピーを超える医療保険料
3. 2万ルピーを超えるホテルへの支払い
4. 5万ルピーを超える生命保険料
5. 年間10万ルピーを超える電気料金
6. 年間10万ルピーを超える教育費や寄付金の支払い
7. 10万ルピーを超える宝飾品、耐久消費財、絵画、大理石などの購入
8. 当座預金口座への50万ルピーを超える預け入れ・入金
9. 普通預金口座などの非当座預金口座への25万ルピーを超える預け入れ・入金
10. 国内ビジネス航空券の購入や海外旅行
11. 株式取引、デマット口座、銀行貸金庫

さらに、以下の追加対象者に対しても、年次情報報告書（AIR）形式での申告が義務付けられることが提案されています。

1. 30万ルピーを超える銀行取引がある個人
2. 売上高が50万ルピーを超えるすべての専門家および事業者
3. 4万ルピーを超える家賃の支払い

これらの提案された変更以外にも、すでにSFTに基づく報告が義務付けられている取引が多数存在します。

3. 特定個人が報告を義務付けられる取引の性質と金額

Section 285BA authorizes the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) to prescribe different values with respect to specified financial transactions in respect of different specified persons having regard to the nature of such transactions. 

Accordingly, list of specified transactions required to be reported by specified persons is provided in Rule 114E is given below:

1. Cash payment made for purchase of bank drafts or pay orders or banker’s cheque where aggregate payment made during a year is INR 10 Lacs or more.
2. Cash payments for purchase of prepaid instruments issued by RBI where aggregate payment made during a year is INR 10 Lacs or more.
3. Cash deposits or withdrawals in one or more current accounts of a person aggregating INR 50 Lacs or more during a Financial Year.
4. Cash deposits in one or more accounts, other than a current account and time deposit,(e.g. Savings accounts) of a person of INR 10 Lacs or more during a Financial year.
5. One or more time deposits (other than renewed time deposit of another time deposit) of a person aggregating INR 10 lacs or more during a Financial year.
6. Credit card payments made by any person either in cash or by any other mode in a FY where aggregating of payment is INR 1 lakh or more in cash or INR 10 lakh or more by any other mode.
7. Receipt from any person for acquiring bonds or debentures issued by the company or institution (other than renewal) aggregating of INR 10 Lacs or more in a Financial year.
8. Receipt from any person for acquiring shares (including share application money) issued by the company where Aggregating payment is Rs 10 lakh  or more in a FY
9. Payment made for Buyback of shares from any person (other than the shares bought in the open market) for aggregating INR 10 lacs or more in a Financial year.
10. Receipt from any person for acquiring units of one or more schemes of a Mutual Fund (other than transfer from one scheme to another) aggregating INR 10 Lacs or more in a Financial year.
11. Receipt from any person for sale of foreign currency including any credit of such currency to foreign exchange card or expense in such currency through a debit or credit card or through issue of travellers cheque or draft or any other instrument where aggregate amount received or incurred during the FY is INR 10 Lacs or more.
12. Purchase or sale of immovable property by any person where Transaction value or valuation of stamp duty, as determined under Section 50C, is Rs 30 lakhs or more.
13. Cash receipt by any person for sale of goods or services of any nature (other than those specified at Sl. Nos. 1 to 10) exceeding INR 2 Lacs.
14. Cash deposits during the period 09th November, 2016 to 30th December, 2016 aggregating to Rs 12,50,000 or more in one or more current account of a person or Rs 2,50,000 or more in one or more accounts.

Different persons are specified for reporting above mentioned transactions such as Financial Institutions, Banks, Post Offices etc.

4. Due date of filing of SFT Transactions

SFT shall be furnished in Form 61A on or before 31st May immediately following the financial year in which transaction is registered or recorded.

Such specified persons were required to submit ‘Annual Information Return (AIR)’ introduced in 2003 with respect to specified financial transactions under Section 285BA.

5. Changes made in 26AS with effect from 01.07.2020

With an objective of ensuring better compliances, various changes are made in Form 26AS over the period of time. Major changes are also made recently with effect From 01 July 2020 wherein various new transactions and information has been added in Form 26AS itself. Government has launched a revised form 26AS which included high value transactions from SFTs from this assessment year, which would be now directly visible to the taxpayer at time of filing of Income Tax return.

Details of changes made in Form 26AS can be accessed.

6. Consequences of Not filing information regarding SFT under section 285BA

• Where a person failed to furnish a statement under section 285BA on or before 31st May immediately following the financial year then the concerned income tax authority can issue a notice requiring him to furnish a statement within a period of 30 days from date of service of notice.  
• If a furnished statement is defective, then the concerned income tax authority can require him to rectify such defect within a period of 30 days or extended period.
• If such return is not rectified within time permitted by concerned Income tax authority then it shall be presumed that such person has furnished inaccurate information in the statement.

7. Failure to furnish SFT Transactions

1. If a person fails to furnish SFT report under section 285BA by the due date then penalty shall be levied of Rs.500 per day till such failure continues. 
2. Further, if a notice is served on a person requiring him to furnish SFT Transactionsstatement and such person fails to file the same within time allowed in notice then penalty of INR 1000 per day will be levied from the day immediately following the day mentioned in notice.

For Example: An assessee fails to file a statement of financial transactions till 31^st May 2020. Notice is received from Income Tax Authority u/s 285BA to file till 31^st July 2020 for which the notice is served on 1^st July 2020. Now there are two possibilities:

a.   Return filed on 31^st July 2020: Ankur will have to pay penalty of Rs.30500 (61days*Rs500 per day i.e. from 1^st June to 31^st July)

b.  Return filed on 31^st August 2020: Penalty will be Rs.30500 plus additional 31000 (31 days* Rs.1000 per day i.e. from 1^st August to 31^st August).

8. Inaccurate information in SFT Transactions

As per section 271FAA, if a person who is required to furnish specified financial report, provides incorrect information in the statement due to any of the following reasons:

• inaccuracy is due to a failure to comply with the prescribed due diligence requirement or is deliberate on the part of that person; or
• the person knows of the inaccuracy at the time of furnishing the report, but he fails to inform the concerned income-tax authority about such default; or
• where the person found inaccuracy after furnishing the statement and fails to inform and furnish the correct information within 10 days of filing.

Then the concerned income tax authority may impose a penalty on such a person of INR 50,000.