Govt reduces withholding tax on FIIs, QFIs interest income to 5% till 2015

22 May 2013 Evaluate

With an aim to provide broad based incentive and attract larger foreign institutional investors (FIIs) participation in the debt market, the government has slashed the withholding tax from 20% to 5% in respect of interest on investment made in bonds issued by Indian companies and government. Now onwards, foreign investors will pay only 5% withholding tax on interest earned from such investments till May 2015.

The finance ministry while notifying the decision said the reduction in rates and simplification of the withholding tax norms is likely to deepen the Indian debt market and accelerate the pace of growth of the Indian economy. Further, the benefit will be available on interest income of FIIs and Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs) accumulating between June 2013 and May 2015 regardless of when the debt was bought.

This comes much in-line with the 2013-14 Budget speech, where Finance Minister P Chidambaram had announced that necessary changes are proposed to provide benefit of reduced withholding tax to cases where investment is made by a non-resident in rupee denominated long term infrastructure bonds.

The government has also simplified KYC norms for investments in long term infrastructure bonds by non-resident investors. Pursuant to which, they can avail the benefit of reduced withholding tax without PAN. The government, last month, had cut tax rates for foreign investors on interest income from government and corporate debt in the above period.

Earlier also, in 2011-12 Budget, the rate of withholding tax on interest payments on the borrowings of Infrastructure Debt Funds (IDF) was reduced from 20% to 5% mainly to enhance resource availability for infrastructure development.

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