Business to provide facility for accepting payment through prescribed electronic modes

Mandating acceptance of payments through prescribed electronic modes

In order to move towards a less cash economy to reduce generation and circulation of black money and to promote digital economy, the Union Budget 2019-20 has proposed to insert a new section 269SU in the Income Tax Act.

The said section provides that every person, carrying on business, shall, provide facility for accepting payment through the prescribed electronic modes, in addition to the facility for other electronic modes of payment, if any, being provided by such person, if his total sales, turnover or gross receipts in business exceeds fifty crore rupees during the immediately preceding previous year.

In order to ensure compliance of the aforesaid provisions, it is further proposed to insert a new section 27IDB to provide that the failure to provide facility for electronic modes of payment prescribed under section 269SU shall attract penalty of a sum of five thousand rupees, for every day during which such failure continues.

However, the penalty shall not be imposed if the person proves that there were good and sufficient reasons for such failure. Any such penalty shall be imposed by the Joint Commissioner.

Further, it is proposed to make a consequential amendment in the Payment and Settlement Systems Act, 2007 so as to provide that no bank or system provider shall impose any charge upon anyone, either directly or indirectly, for using the modes of electronic payment prescribed under section 269SU of the Income-tax Act.

These amendment will take effect from 1st November, 2019.