Professional Tax in Maharashtra: Tax Rates, Payment Process & Due Date

source : taxguru

Are you a working professional in Maharashtra? Have you recently joined a company?

If yes, then you must know about all the tax deductions, including professional tax. Even if you have started a new business here, you must pay the same. Every business must register themselves whether you have employed people or not. Further, every registered business with an Enrolment Certificate must pay professional tax. So, for earning individuals, payment of professional tax is a must.

Read on to know more about professional tax in Maharashtra!

Article 276 of the Indian Constitution levies a professional tax on professions, trades, callings and employment. It means every person involved in any profession, business, trade, calling will be liable to pay professional tax to the respective State Government as per their income threshold.

In Maharashtra, the Maharashtra State Tax on Professions, Trades, Calling and Employment Act, 1975 handles the professional tax.

As per the Maharashtra Profession Tax Act, all individuals who are involved in work in a Government organisation or private organisation in Maharashtra and earn through any other mode must pay professional tax.

The State Government delegates municipality corporation/Panchayat or separate department for collecting professional tax payment in Maharashtra.

From the previous paragraphs, one can understand persons liable to pay P tax. Read the following sections to learn about it in detail.

Persons liable to pay professional tax includes,

1. Salaried Individuals

Salaried individuals and companies are liable to pay Professional tax in Maharashtra. Employers deduct professional tax from salaried individuals and deposit with the municipal corporation on behalf of employees.

2. Self-employed Individuals

Self-employed individuals are responsible for paying Professional tax in Maharashtra. Here, they themselves need to pay it online directly to the State Government or through the officials appointed to complete the tax collection process.

There are specific categories that these taxpayers must fall under. These are as follows,

• Individuals
• Companies
• Firms
• Corporations
• Hindu Undivided Families
• Societies
• Associations
• Clubs

After learning about who is liable to pay Professional Tax, the next question that comes up is what is the procedure to pay professional tax? Read along and get all the answers.

One can complete the professional tax payment in Maharashtra by following the steps mentioned below.

Step 1: Visit the official website of the Maharashtra GST Department. 

Step 2: Click on ‘e-Payments’ and select the right option as per the status of professional tax payment. 

Step 3: Select the applicable professional tax act, i.e. either PTRC Act or PTEC Act. 

Step 4: Next, enter essential details such as financial year, period of Professional Tax payment, payable amount, location, mobile number. 

Step 5: After that, click on ‘Proceed to Payment’. After a successful payment, an acknowledgement receipt will be generated. Individuals can download it for future reference.

The Maharashtra Government allows payment of professional tax through GRAS (Government Receipt Accounting System) facility. Through the GRAS facility, individuals can collect Government receipts from a different department.

• Alternative Option to Pay Professional Tax in Maharashtra  

Step 1: Visit the official website of the Sales Tax Portal of GRAS. 

Step 2: Choose the type of tax and provide TIN. For PTEC, enter the 11 digit TIN that starts with 99 and does not have the suffix P. For PTRC, it provides a 12 digit TIN that starts with 27 and does not have the suffix P. 

Step 3: Click on ‘Submit’. Next, provide the correct office location and mobile number. Enter the name of the employer or individual entity manually if it does not appear manually.   

Step 4: Choose payment type in Remark. Form ID will generate automatically and select payment period. 

Step 5: Provide payment details, payment mode, bank and provide captcha code and click on ‘Proceed’.

Step 6: Payment summary will appear on a screen; click on ‘Ok’ if the information is correct. Next, GRN (Government Reference Number) will appear, click on ‘Ok’, and individuals will be redirected to the bank’s website. 

Step 7: Once the payment is successfully made, a receipt will generate, which individuals can download.    

Note: Individuals who are yet to avail net banking facility; can generate e-challan with GRN and complete payment via RTGS at all branches of Bank of Maharashtra or cash.    

Now that the online payment procedure of professional tax in Maharashtra is clear to individuals, let’s learn about the due date, penalty and rules related to Professional tax exemption.

The due date of professional tax payment in Maharashtra depends on the date of enrolment, such as, 

• Entities that enrolled before 31st May of a financial year must pay PT in Maharashtra within 30th June of that particular year. 
• Entities that enrolled after 31st May of a financial year must pay PT in Maharashtra within one month of the enrolment date. 

If employers miss a payment of professional tax or delay in doing so, they have to pay 2% interest (each month) on the total due amount.

Following is a list of individuals who can avoid making professional tax payments in Maharashtra.

• Handicapped persons having more than 4% disability
• Parent of physically disabled and mentally retarded children
• Badli workers of the textile industry

The above-mentioned sections thoroughly talk about professional tax in Maharashtra. Read the definition of professional tax, understand the payment process and avoid late payments.